28717: Sontaine (news) Ben Dupuy' s statement on Haiti Progres editor Kim Ives (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Georges Sontaine <georgessontaine@hotmail.com>

(Note: Parti Populaire National Secretary General Ben Dupuy's statement on 
former Haiti Progres editor Kim Ives.)

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/23/18290695.php

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 03:56:34 -0400

7/20/2006

Dear members of the
International Tribunal on Haiti,

Kim Ives the
assistant prosecutor has called for a conference call
for tomorrow the 20th of July at 11 AM. Kim Ives was
appointed by me, the presiding judge, to moderate our
conference calls. But, it has become clear that he has
abused his role as adminitrator/moderator of the
Tribunal list and the conference calls by inviting to
participate whoever pleases him. The people concerned
and authorized to organize and give directives for the
different sessions of the Tribunal and therefore to
participate in the conference calls are: the presiding
judge,his two assistant judges, the chief prosecutor
and her assistant, the investigating judge, and no one
else. Any outside guest invited to participate in such
conference calls should have the approbation of the
presiding judge. On the other hand, all the records of
the Tribunal are supposed to be deposited in the
custody of the court, i.e.the three judges. So far,
Kim Ives has retained all the audio-visual materials
presented during the four sessions of the tribunal,
apart from some overall sessions in Washington and
Boston which the court has. It is becoming clear that
Kim Ives thinks that he can manipulate the Tribunal
for his personal ends.

By posing as the centuries-old "White do-gooder"
and "benefactor" of poor underdeveloped Haitians,
he hardly disguises his arrogance, hoping to relegate
three Haitian presiding judges to mere figureheads (
in the mode of Boniface and Latortue ). It is one
thing to promote some interested, career-minded
lobbyists and their own "expertise" on Haiti;
it's another thing to use the victims of Empire for
one's own unspoken ends. This Tribunal was
originally conceived to bring its case to the
International Criminal Court at the Hague, not to be a
springboard to enhance one's notoriety or portfolio.
As documented in the enclosed financial report, the
three presiding judges and the chief prosecutor,
Desiree Wayne, are the only ones who have not been
reimbursed for their expenditures ( plane tickets,
hotels, etc. ). .


For a clear understanding on the part of the members
of the Tribunal, it is necessary to know that
financial contributions to the Tribunal have been
solicited through Haiti Support Network (HSN), (see
exhibit #1). HSN bank account was established about 10
years ago.The sole treasurer with signature on this
account has been Kim Ives' wife, Elisa Chavez. Her
interest in the work of HSN soon evaporated and all
efforts during these years to have her relinquish her
signature rights to Berthony Dupont, a member of HSN
and presently the accountant and administrator of
Haiti-Progres, have been in vain. Thus, contributions
and expenditures for the Tribunal have been handled (
de facto ) by Berthony Dupont ( see exhibit #2 ).Even
though Berthony did not have signature rights on the
account, he managed to deposit contributions and draw
checks to pay expenses. (see exhibit #3) But after the
4th session of the Tribunal in Montreal, left unpaid
were :1) Miami University Security : $ 240.00 and :
2) Dave Welsh expenses $ 733.74. But before Berthony
had a chance to mail the two checks for paying those
expenses, he was informed by Kim Ives that his wife,
Elisa Chavez, had unilaterally withdrawn all the
balance in HSN account ($2000.00). Curiously, the next
day, Kim Ives, personally delivered to Berthony $
2000.00 cash from an "anonymous" donor. This sum
was not deposited in HSN account, including an other
check made to the order of HSN. (see exhibit # 4) due
to this ursurpation of HSN account.


In my capacity as presiding judge of the International
Tribunal on Haiti, I will moderate the next conference
call set up by Kim Ives for tomorrow, the 20th of
July.Last week conference call was postponed
unilaterally by Kim Ives, under the pretext of
"conflicts of schedule." He was to have reported on
the status of the audio-visual records of the court
that he is still holding, and to have presented a
financial report on the Tribunal's four sessions



The proposed agenda for
tomorrow is :


1) : Financial report Prepared by Berthony Dupont for
the Tribunal.



2) : Review of the status of the audio-visual records
of the Tribunal.



3) : Review of a so-called request for a Tribunal
session in Haiti.


Ben Dupuy

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