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Former Haitian interior minister arrested

The former interior minister in the government of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been detained on suspicion of involvement in the killing of opposition members in February, police said.

Jocelerme Privert was detained at his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince, after first resisting arrest and was now in prison, police spokesman Commissioner Max Isaac said yesterday.

Privert is wanted in connection with a series of killings of Aristide opponents in the town of Saint Marc in February.

Gangs loyal to Aristide, who fled the country on Feb. 29 amid a mounting rebellion, are accused of carrying out the Saint Marc killings as part of a campaign of intimidation.

The spokesman said police staged a raid on Privert's home just after midnight.

"Mr Privert first tried to escape, but he cooperated and his arrest was completed at 2:00am," added Isaac.

A large amount of evidence was seized at the home, Isaac said.

A pro-Aristide gang known as "Balai Rouze" is said to have carried out the killings. Some police were said to be in the gang.

According to the National Coalition for Haitians' Human Rights, about 50 people were killed in Saint Marc between Feb. 11 and Feb. 13.

Privert is the first member of the Aristide administration to be arrested, though about 30 other ministers and senior officials, including former prime minister Yvon Neptune, have been banned from leaving the impoverished Caribbean republic.

An interim government led by Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has accused the Aristide regime of plundering the country's treasury before he fled on Feb. 29. It has said it will seek the extradition of Aristide, who is currently in Jamaica.

During a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday, Latortue said that, "The country is in a state of total bankruptcy.

"Those who were here before left absolutely nothing in the country. They took everything they could and they emptied the coffers, including the central bank's vault, before leaving," he said.

Amid lingering fears of violence, an international stabilization force of 3,600 troops is in Haiti and a UN peacekeeping force could follow. About 2,000 troops are American while France is also a major contributor.

Aristide has said he was forced to leave Haiti by the US and France and has started legal action against US and French government officials.

Powell insisted again on Monday that Aristide left voluntarily and that international action had avoided a "bloodbath" in Haiti.

During his joint press conference with Powell, Latortue confirmed that he and opposition groups had signed an agreement on Sunday that would pave the way for general elections next year and a new government by February the following year.

Officials here said tough conditions would be placed on candidates hoping to take part in the presidential, legislative and municipal elections in an effort to avoid intimidation and violence.

Powell said Washington would allocate US$9 million to the Organization of American States to help support political reform in Haiti, in addition to US$55 million that is being granted to Haiti for humanitarian work.
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