21037: Esser: Haiti: Mysteries at EDH, Bigiot-Unibank joint venture (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

March 30, 2004

Mysteries at EDH, Bigiot-Unibank joint venture 

The alleged scandal surrounding President Alexandre's office
concerning a contract to deliver diesel fuel to the Haitian state
company for electricity (EDH) accelerates in pace with the two main
contract parties issuying contradictory statements. The director of
EDH, Charles Albert, maintains that EDH did not order the diesel fuel
valued at US$ 235.000,- and delivered on March 12th by company
DINASA. He did confirm, though, that EDH used the fuel to keep
generators at the Carrefour Central going but denies being involved
in the transaction. According to Albert, EDH is currently not able to
honor the fuels payment. The director of DINASA, Carl Auguste
Boisson, on the other hand states that the command of 200.000 gallons
of fuel did come from EDH and seemed surprised to learn about Mr
Alberts contradictory statement. The Presidents as well as the Prime
Ministers office have begun an inquiry into the affair. DINASA,
Distributeurs Nationaux S.A., on June 3rd, 2003, took over the
operations of SHELL in Haiti. The SHELL Group had been present in
Haiti since 1932. The two pillars of DINASA are the Bigio Group,
represented by Gilbert Bigio, and a new entity SMI-Energie, created
by Unibank's investment group GFN, represented by Edouard Baussan.
The directors of Unibank are Franck Helmcke, Thierry Gardère, Edouard
Baussan, Jean Pierre Blanchard, F. Carl Braun, Lyonel Dartiguenave,
Adrien Castera, Bertrand Buteau and Max Chauve. [Source: Radio
Metropole / HPN / L'Union / Google Cache]
.