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25811: Benodin: (comment) TWISTING THE TRUTH ABOUT JACQUES ROCHE (fwd)
From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>
TWISTING THE TRUTH ABOUT JACQUES ROCHE
Gerard Jean-Juste and Bill Quigley Caught in a Lie; Marguerite Laurent, Amy
Goodman and John Maxwell Are Accomplices
Once again, the nefarious pro-Aristide forces are conspiring to misinform the
public about the macabre role Reverend Jean-Juste and his kidnapping squads
have played in these past few weeks' horrible events, including the
assassination of journalist Jacques Roche. It is particularly telling that the
pro-Aristide camp, caught in its plot to have Jacques Roche killed simply for
having been associated to the "Groupe des 184", would then unleash a public
relations campaign for the purpose of whitewashing their authorship, moral if
not physical, of the Jacques Roche murder and then bizarrely associating
themselves with Jacques Roche once they realized the magnitude of the gaffe
their goons had committed.
In this respect, the total incompetence of the current provisional authorities
explains why there has been no attempt to discredit this malicious campaign and
why Rev. Jean-Juste is now able to portray himself as a victim once again for
having committed the "crime" of attending his "cousin" Jacques Roche's funeral.
Let us now examine the sequence of events that have led to the arrest of
Jean-Juste and to the flurry of emails from Aristide apologists trying to
deflect the attention away from their involvement in Jacques Roche's murder:
July 14, 2005
The body of journalist Jacques Roche, who had been kidnapped on July 10 is
found in Delmas 4. Jacques Roche had been tortured before being executed: his
arms were broken, his tongue had been ripped out, and his body bore marks of
extreme corporal punishment. He was killed by several gun shots in the mouth.
[1] [2] Jacques Roche was not simply a dedicated journalist; he was also a
talented poet and a passionate lover of Haiti. He believed in social justice
and had militated for many changes, including the unconditional cancellation of
Haiti's foreign debt and the fight against the free zone established
unilaterally by Aristide in Maribahoux (North East.)
According to press reports, his kidnappers took issue with his role to host a
radio show about civil society, sponsored by the "Groupe des 184." This led to
their decision to assassinate him despite his family having made a partial
payment of $10,000 on the ransom they had requested. [3] He had become, in the
eyes of his kidnappers, an enemy of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and of Lavalas and
therefore had to be eliminated.
July 17, 2005
In one of her signature diatribes, lawyer Marguerite Laurent, a pro-Aristide
apologist and his chief defender in the United States, puts in context the
death of Jacques Roche and explains why it was understandable; she says in
essence that the current wave of kidnappings are in retribution for the
kidnapping of "democracy" when Jean-Bertrand Aristide left power. She writes:
The kidnappings in Haiti for political and economic purposes began with the
kidnapping of Democracy by the powerful Coup D'etat nations of the US,
Canada and France, intent on imposing privatization, neoliberalism in Haiti,
no matter the will of the people, the nation nor its duly elected
representative.
Last Thursday, July 14, 2005, Jacques Roche, a well-known cultural and sport
news reporter for Le Matin, and television host of a show on "civil society"
issues for Group of 184, who had been kidnapped on July 10, 2005, was found
dead. His tortured and bullet ridden body was found still handcuffed,
[...]
Let's begin by questioning WHY Jacques Roche was killed? In sum, Roche's death
is the fruit of a poison tree that must first be uprooted before justice can
ring in Haiti. It's the fruit of an ongoing international crime of kidnapping
democracy begun with the kidnapping of President Aristide from Haiti.
As a friend wrote to me today, "The handcuffs (left on Roches body) already
told us WHO did it. I can't imagine slum dwellers possessing handcuffs, and if
they did, having enough to leave them on a dead body. We are dealing with
really evil people." Moreover, according to an AHP news report "People close to
the cultural journalist condemned his execution and declared that if they had
received support from some sectors they didn't name, to complete the ransom,
the victim's life would have probably been saved....One of his collaborators,
Roudy Sanon, who was involved in the negotiations with the kidnappers, declared
that it was his work colleagues who helped to get the 10.000 dollars given to
the kidnappers. He also deplored that the Police General Direction did not help
to get Jacques Roche's release, despite the fact that it had enough clues to
help, he said. "This authority of the police is therefore responsible on this
level of his death, Roudy Sanon said on a private radio station of the
capital." [4]
In a few paragraphs, Marguerite Laurent manages to mangle the truth, turn the
events of Jacques Roche's death on their head, and turn his employers into the
ones responsible for his death all in one fell swoop:
Lie #1: Slum dwellers do not possess handcuffs.
Marguerite Laurent chooses to ignore that a large number of Cite Soleil
criminals were enlisted in the last two Haitian National Police classes under
Aristide (at his request) and were let go after his departure because of their
shameful criminal records. In addition, a number of policemen linked to Lavalas
have been arrested recently for their involvement in kidnappings and murders.
It is not that difficult to figure where the handcuffs might have come from.
And it is possible to buy handcuffs in Haiti today from private shops. Dany
Toussaint, another murderer linked to Lavalas until he split with Aristide,
sold such goodies at his store recently.
Lie #2: Jacques Roche did not receive support from some sectors that might have
saved him.
Jacques Roche's kidnapping was not about ransom. The kidnappers went though the
masquerade to make it appear as such. His political death had been
pre-ordained, and no amount of money would have saved him from his certain
execution. Let's remember one clear point: Jacques Roche was assassinated for
having collaborated with "Groupe des 184", not because his family could not
come up with the ransom. The vast majority of kidnappings in Haiti have been
settled for much less than $10,000. So to pretend that his employers could have
saved him simply by contributing money is a lie.
Lie #3 - The Haitian Police is responsible for his death.
Roudy Sanon, AHP and Marguerite Laurent should hang their heads in shame for
propagating such a lie. The police explained very clearly that they had leads,
but not enough information to quickly react to the murder. [5] This was
confirmed when they arrested Roger Etienne, one of Jacques Roche's murderers,
who explained that he was constantly being moved.
Beyond the obvious lies, Marguerite Laurent's obvious message, though the words
of a "friend", is that only the "murderous" regime of Latortue could have
killed Jacques Roche, but certainly not the "peaceful" gangs that are
terrorizing the slum dwellers she was talking about. Even more ominous is the
message, subsequently picked up by Gerard Jean Juste, that the "kidnapping" of
Aristide on February 29, 2004, justifies the wave of such crimes in Haiti today
and that only his return will end the wave. If that is the case, then isn't it
a clear acknowledgement of WHO is responsible for the kidnappings? After all,
it is such a poisonous tree ... but who planted it in the first place?
July 20, 2005
In an interview on Radio Kiskeya, Rev. Jean Juste picks up on the theme of
Aristide's kidnapping as being the first instance of this crime. His message:
since our leader was the victim of a kidnapping, we Lavalas certainly cannot be
responsible for this type of crime. But he went on to state that the end of the
violence from below depends on the end of the violence from above. [6]
What is then the violence from below that he is referring to? Isn't it the
kidnappings, murders and rapes that the pro-Lavalas gangs have been
perpetrating, not only on Haitian society as a whole but especially on the
residents of the slums in which they have taken residence? We should be under
no illusion that, despite the class warfare message that is being spread by
Marguerite Laurent and Gerard Jean-Juste, the majority of the victims of
violence of any sort in Haiti today are poor. And contrary to what they would
have us believe, the perpetrators for the most part are the pro-Lavalas gangs
that were armed and trained by Aristide and his henchmen, like Paul Raymond,
René Civil, Hermione Leonard, et al from 2001 until his departure.
As a side note, what is most disingenuous from Marguerite Laurent is her
systematic silence on one of the worst crimes perpetrated by gangs like that of
the late Dred Wilme's: rape. The principal victims of crimes in Cite Soleil,
Solino, Bel Air, Delmas 2, Grande Ravine, etc. are women (primarily young) and
even in some cases pre-pubescent girls who are preyed upon by depraved gang
members who have turned to a new form of bodily mutilation to inflict further
pain on their rape victims: the incrustation of parts of plastic or metal in
their penises. [7] This was the case, for example, of Dred Wilme's lieutenant
Emmanuel Coriolan (aka "Dom Laj") who underwent "surgery" while in jail to have
his penis augmented with bits of plastic and metal. He had it done to better
torture any female kidnapping victim that his gang would seize.
July 21, 2005
Jacques Roche's funeral is marked by moving tributes from speakers from all
walks of life. But it will also be remembered for Rev. Jean-Juste's audacious
attempt to officiate at the ceremony - when he can be considered as a moral
author of Roche's murder - and the subsequent false statements which have
revealed his talent as a pathological liar and the unethical lapses of a
certain William Quigley, attorney-at-law.
Before the funeral, Jean-Juste had an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy
Now! where he stated:
So right now, today I'm on my way to attend the funeral of Jacques Roche, a
prominent journalist who had been kidnapped and killed. And I'm going to show
myself because his parents are from my town, and at a certain time, one of his
relatives saved my life. I was being attacked by a mob, and then Mrs. Roche
came out, saw me, and get me off the gangs and sheltered me at her house. So
this is why I feel that I should be there regardless that they keep accusing
Lavalas people of participating in the killings. [8]
What happened at the funeral? Rev. Jean-Juste and his attorney William Quigley,
decided to participate at the ceremony. Notwithstanding the gall of Jean Juste,
the fact that he came dressed in full priest garb and had every intention of
officiating at the ceremony can only be interpreted as an act of provocation or
sheer folly or both. Soon after his arrival, Jean-Juste is set upon by a group
of incenses students (not 184 people as falsely reported by Bill Quigley [9])
After a few minutes of mayhem, Jean-Juste and Quigley are led away by a group
of CIVPOL officers and are then picked up by the Haitian police that take them
to the Pétion-Ville precinct. Jean Juste will later be arrested, but not
Quigley.
July 22, 2005
An article written by Bill Quigley and entitled "Haitian Priest Assaulted by
Mob at Funeral and Arrested for Murder" [10] is posted on www.commondreams.org.
Never mind the fact that Bill Quigley is not a journalist. Never mind the fact
that Bill Quigley is Jean Juste's attorney. Why this "op-ed" piece, at best, is
posted as a news article is beyond me. However, what is most striking is the
number of lies and innuendos that Bill Quigley manages to inject in such a
short article:
1. Jean Juste was beaten by 184 supporters.
2. Roche deserved to die because he worked with "the people calling themselves
the group of 184, who overthrew by force the democratically elected government
of President Aristide, the leader of the Lavalas party, in February 2004." [11]
3. Jean Juste is a cousin of Jacques Roche. In Quigley's words:
On Thursday July 21, 2005, Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste went to St. Pierre's Catholic
Church to be one of the priests participating in the funeral of Haitian
journalist Jacques Roche. Fr. Jean-Juste is a cousin of the Roche family and
members of the Roche family protected him from a mob earlier in his life. He
went to express spiritual comfort and reconciliation to the family. [12]
Already, there is an obvious discrepancy between Jean-Juste and his attorney on
the exact relationship of Jean-Juste to Jacques Roche:
a) Jean-Juste: Roche's parents are from my town (Cavaillon)
b) Quigley: Jean-Juste is a cousin of Roche.
July 23, 2005
On Saturday, July 23, Jacques Roche's mother breaks her silence on Radio
Kiskeya to comment specifically on her so-called "relationship" to Rev.
Jean-Juste [13]. She refutes any kinship to the Reverend, thereby proving that
all of the comments made by Jean-Juste and Quigley were fabrications. She
specifically states that:
1. She has no relationship to Rev. Jean-Juste
2. She has never met Jean-Juste, neither now nor when he was a child.
2. While her husband was from Cavaillon, she is from Cap-Haitian and has never
set foot in Cavaillon.
4. Therefore, she could not possibly have saved Jean-Juste from a mob that
attacked him and then sheltered him at her house when he was a child, since she
never lived in Cavaillon.
July 24, 2005
In his "Common Sense" column entitled "Extremism in defense of freedom ..."
[14] , Jamaican journalist John Maxwell, an unabashed Aristide apologist,
writes the following:
[...]
[Gerard Jean-Juste] was then arrested, charged with something that happened in
Haiti while he was in Miami, released, then beaten up when he attended a
funeral, re-arrested and thrown into prison, this time, allegedly, for the
murder of the journalist whose funeral he was attending.
[...]
In one cute sentence, John Maxwell has managed to take out of context the
meaning and importance of Jean-Juste's presence at the funeral of Jacques
Roche. More importantly, he has now conveyed to his unsuspecting readers the
incredible "injustice" meted out to the good Reverend. John Maxwell, no lawyer
he, conveniently forgets to explain to his readers that there is such a thing
in Haitian law as "accusation par la clameur publique" [15] and that there are
antecedents, given Jean-Juste's involvement with the pro-Lavalas gangs that
have been organizing these deadly kidnappings. At least, Maxwell had the
decency not to write about Jean-Juste's "close family relationship" to Jacques
Roche. And I am sure that his skilled command of the English language (unlike
mine) will carry in any discussion about what he really meant. And I am doubly
sure that the coterie of Aristide friends that have formed the
Dessalines-Boukman Society in Jamaica will no doubt approve of Maxwell's
journalistic (mis)carriage of justice.
One of the problems with all Anglophone journalists, and with Marguerite
Laurent despite her Haitian ancestry and her work in Haiti, is that they still
do not have a good understanding (if at all) of the differences between common
law and Haitian law. It is high time they started learning something positive
to better defend their heroes.
Also, contrary to Maxwell's claim, Bill Quigley was not arrested. We must
wonder what Maxwell's sources are and whether he has a reliable network of
informants or whether he has decided to lower his journalistic standards when
it comes to news out of Haiti. If Maxwell did verify independently the news
that he received, he would not have included in his column what is obviously
false information, But then again, the end justifies the means...
In conclusion, the habitual liars and apologists have once again unmasked
themselves in protecting an individual who had no reason to attend the funeral,
nor any decency to stay away from the family of the man to whose death he
contributed, directly or indirectly. It is such a shame that the Lavalas
movement, which stood for justice and transparency, has been overtaken by
overzealous extremist who care not a wit about the Haitian people. But who can
blame them? Il faut bien défendre ses patates ...
Jean-Claude Jasmin
jasminjeanclaude@yahoo.com
July 24, 2005
NOTES AND REFERENCES
[1] http://www.alterpresse.org/article.php3?id_article=2829
[2]
http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/archive.phtml?action=full&keyword=jacques+roche&sid=0&critere=0&id=10315&p=3
[3] http://www.radiokiskeya.com/article.php3?id_article=985
[4] Marguerite Laurent email dated July 17, 2005 entitled "[ezilidanto] Jacque
Roche's death used by "Council of the Wise" to criminalize & bar Lavalas from
elections, Jean-Juste persecution increases, UN Massacre continues, et al....."
[5] http://www.radiokiskeya.com/article.php3?id_article=992
[6] http://www.radiokiskeya.com/article.php3?id_article=1009
[7] http://www.metropolehaiti.com/metropole/full_une_fr.phtml?id=10363
[8]
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/07/21/1332235&mode=thread&tid=25
[9] http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0722-08.htm
[10] http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0722-08.htm
[11] http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0722-08.htm
[12] http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0722-08.htm
[13] http://www.radiokiskeya.com/article.php3?id_article=1024
[14]
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20050723T190000-0500_84721_OBS__EXTREMISM_IN_DEFENCE_OF_FREEDOM____.asp
[15] http://ledroitcriminel.free.fr/dictionnaire/lettre_c/lettre_c_ci.htm
- Droit positif. La clameur publique, faisant immédiatement suite à un crime ou
à un délit, fait naître une situation d'urgence qui justifie l'ouverture d'une
Enquête de flagrance* et autorise l'Arrestation* de la personne poursuivie
(art. 53 C.pr.pén.).
Garraud (Traité de l'instruction judiciaire) : La clameur publique, c'est
l'accusation jetée au public, l'appel qui lui est fait, n'y eût-il que le
blessé ou le premier témoin survenu qui poussât le cri.
Decocq Montreuil et Buisson (Le droit de la police) : La clameur publique est
constituée d'un cri (Au voleur, p.ex.), non pas d'une rumeur, mais il n'est pas
indispensable qu'elle contienne une accusation précise (le cri : Arrêtez-le
suffit). Le législateur voir en elle un indice suffisant d'une présomption
d'imputabilité d'une infraction flagrante.