10 Million Gourdes Embezzled at MJSAC, According to ULCC
By Mardoche D’Aout · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) has published a damning investigation report on the use of ten (10) million gourdes allocated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) for the commemorative activities of the Battle of Vertières, on November 18, 2024.
The investigation highlighted a system of embezzlement involving high-ranking officials, including the acting minister, Niola Lynn Sarah Dévalis Octavius, the chief accountant Ludner Vogel Desforges, and the minister's head of security, Jean Vilaire Maître.
According to the report, a check for ten million gourdes had been issued by the MEF to the MJSAC. However, investigators discovered that this money had passed through a private account, opened in the name of chief accountant Ludner Vogel Desforges, in violation of public accounting rules.
This maneuver allowed the funds to be removed from state control and used irregularly.
Of the ten million allocated, the ULCC indicates that 7.66 million gourdes were withdrawn in cash and handed over to the minister's head of security, Jean Vilaire Maître, without valid supporting documents.
WhatsApp exchanges between the officials, authenticated by a justice of the peace, confirm that the funds were distributed under the direct instruction of the minister, unrelated to the organization of the Vertières festivities.
The report also notes that several payments made to third parties were not supported by invoices or contracts. Some sums were used to cover expenses unrelated to the commemorative event, notably the participation of a Haitian athlete in an international competition.
The beneficiary companies did not have their business licenses up to date, making the payments even more irregular.
The ULCC directly implicates:
Niola Lynn Sarah Dévalis Octavius for embezzlement of public property, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy;
Ludner Vogel Desforges for attempted embezzlement and complicity;
Jean Vilaire Maître for complicity and illegal receipt of public funds. The report recommends:
A full audit of MJSAC's management by the Superior Court of Accounts;
Immediate administrative sanctions against Desforges and Maître;
Legal proceedings against the three officials for embezzlement and corruption, in accordance with the law of March 12, 2014, on the prevention and repression of corruption. For the ULCC, this case illustrates « a compelling example of embezzlement of public property », where resources intended to commemorate a key moment in national history were used for personal gain. The case is now in the hands of the Haitian justice system, which will have to determine the criminal proceedings to be taken in this matter. Mardoché D’Août
Niola Lynn Sarah Dévalis Octavius for embezzlement of public property, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy;
Ludner Vogel Desforges for attempted embezzlement and complicity;
Jean Vilaire Maître for complicity and illegal receipt of public funds. The report recommends:
A full audit of MJSAC's management by the Superior Court of Accounts;
Immediate administrative sanctions against Desforges and Maître;
Legal proceedings against the three officials for embezzlement and corruption, in accordance with the law of March 12, 2014, on the prevention and repression of corruption. For the ULCC, this case illustrates « a compelling example of embezzlement of public property », where resources intended to commemorate a key moment in national history were used for personal gain. The case is now in the hands of the Haitian justice system, which will have to determine the criminal proceedings to be taken in this matter. Mardoché D’Août
