Haitian human rights group calls for probe into assassination of senior police officer
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – The Haitian Human Rights Observatory (OHDH) has condemned the murder of Police Inspector Réginald Laleau, who was abducted by armed gang men at a church on July 24.
In a statement, the OHDH said that it is calling on the police to investigate the murder of the police officer, who was abducted by members of the notorious 400 Mawozo gang, while he attended service at the Assembly of God Church
Media reports said that his murder followed threats by the gang to execute police officers attached to the armoured unit of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) whose vehicles, nicknamed by the bandits ‘Men lap fe san’ patrols gang-controlled territories in the capital.
The chief of the 400 Mawozo gang, Joseph Wilson, alias ‘Lanmò San jou’ had threatened to kill the police officers of one of the armoured vehicles and later on Sunday there were several “clashes” and exchanges of fire between the police and members of the gang causing widespread panic in the area.
In a brief statement the OHDH said that it wanted the authorities to detain the individuals involved in “this heinous crime…arrested in accordance with the law”.
Laleau joins the list of 25 of his colleagues killed by gang members since January according to Lionel Lazarre, Coordinator of the National Union of Haitian Police Officers.