15520: (Chamberlain) Dominican-Haitian Arrests (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By ANDRES CALA

   SANTO DOMINGO, May 8 (AP) -- A former Haitian police chief and four
others suspected of plotting against Haiti's government were released
Thursday, authorities said.
   Guy Philippe, who once headed the police force in the northern Haitian
city of Cap-Haitien, and the four others were detained Tuesday in the
border town of Dajabon.
   "We investigated them and, after finding nothing, we sent them away with
the warning that under no pretext are they allowed to conspire," said Gen.
Fernando Cruz, head of the government's investigation bureau.
   Authorities arrested the five amid allegations that they were organizing
a coup against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Cruz said.
   In a telephone interview Thursday with Haiti's independent Radio Vision
2000, Philippe denied planning any subversive acts.
   Philippe, a staunch opponent of Aristide, fled across the border from
Haiti in October 2000 with six other top police officials.
   He has been accused by Haiti's government of masterminding an armed
attack on the National Palace on Dec. 17, 2001. Philippe has denied the
charges.
   In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti's opposition denied allegations it was
trying to destabilize the government after armed men damaged a
hydroelectric plant.
   On Wednesday, about 20 gunmen attacked a hydroelectric plant north of
the capital, killing two guards, setting fire to the control tower and
putting three turbines out of commission.
   The Haitian government said the attack on the electric plant was linked
to the arrests, and illustrated a pattern of subversive acts meant to
destabilize the Aristide government.
   The Haitian opposition has been at loggerheads with Aristide's
government since May 2000, when the former priest's Lavalas Family party
swept legislative races. Independent observers said the races were flawed.