KINGSTON, Jamaica— An application to release Colombian Mario Antonio Palacios, a key suspect in the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, from Jamaican custody is to continue in the Supreme Court next Friday. 

Palacios, an ex-Colombian army officer, is wanted by law enforcement agencies in Haiti and Colombia.

He was arrested in Jamaica on October 11 and convicted of illegally entering the island. He was fined $8,000 or five days in prison and ordered deported.

The alleged assassin has been detained since that time, forcing his attorneys — Queen’s Counsel Carolyn Reid Cameron and Chukwuemeka Cameron — to file a writ of habeas corpus “for his release” so that he could be repatriated to his homeland in Colombia. 

According to a release from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Palacious’ attorneys argued that he “continues to be unlawfully detained in Jamaica since October 21, 2021.”

In response, the lawyers from the Attorney General’s Chambers contended that Palacios was indeed legally detained on an order issued by a parish court judge.

The attorneys also argued that the Government of Jamaica is considering “an extradition request from the Republic of Haiti”.

Following legal arguments, Supreme Court judge, Justice Courtney Daye, declared that due to competing interests a brief adjournment would bring balance.

The delay, the judge ruled, would also allow the extradition request, which was submitted by Haiti, to be translated and “for the competent authority to consider” that request.

Before the deportation order was executed in October, local authorities discovered that Palacios was allegedly linked to the July 7 killing of Moïse, who was beaten and shot multiple times inside his private residence reportedly by 28 mercenaries — 26 of them Colombians.

Since then there has been a diplomatic stand-off involving Jamaica, Colombia, and Haiti over who should get custody of the alleged mercenary.