ULCC Report: A Minister and Two Active Director-Generals Implicated, a Historic Precedent
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 4 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 publication of reports from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) this Friday, September 26, caused a shockwave, revealing massive corruption practices involving a minister and active director-generals.
These reports, perceived as a decisive step in the fight against impunity, also raise persistent distrust regarding the judicial system's ability to transform these revelations into concrete sanctions.
According to one of the reports, a government minister and two director-generals are involved in corruption scandals, as well as a former director-general. They are implicated for embezzlement, dubious loans, or fictitious contracts.
Irregular Disbursements and a Chain of Responsibility
According to ULCC investigators, Minister Niola Lynn Sarah Devalis Octavius allegedly authorized the disbursement of these funds in violation of public accounting rules.
Rather than issuing a check directly to the actual beneficiary of the commemorative activities, the sum was made out in the name of the ministry's chief accountant, Ludner Vogel Desforges.
This decision allowed the operation to bypass normal state treasury control. Even more seriously, a private bank account was allegedly opened at the Banque Nationale de Crédit (BNC) to deposit public money. By circumventing institutional channels, the funds escaped the supervision mechanisms provided by the law on public finance management. Troubling Cash Flows The ULCC notes that 7.66 million gourdes were withdrawn in cash from this account, then handed directly to the minister's head of security, Jean Vilaire Maître, without conclusive justification. Investigators also mention suspicious cross-transfers: for example, the withdrawal of 2 million gourdes on November 26, 2024, followed on the same day by a deposit of an identical amount into the minister's personal account. Public Fuel, Private Generators At a time when garbage is accumulating in the streets of the capital, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) unveils a damning report on the management of the National Solid Waste Management Service (SNGRS). Between December 2021 and April 2024, the institution responsible for maintaining public sanitation was allegedly the scene of massive fuel embezzlement, amounting to an estimated 227.48 million gourdes. According to investigators, Director-General Germain Paulémon and his deputy Max Alex Joseph admitted to having used, for personal purposes, a portion of the diesel purchased by the institution. This fuel, financed by state funds, was allegedly used to power their private generators, even though it was intended for waste collection and treatment operations. This admission, rare in corruption cases, confirms that SNGRS leaders appropriated vital resources, to the detriment of the normal functioning of a public service already criticized for its inefficiency. Public Studios Serving Private Media What was supposed to be the audiovisual showcase of the Haitian state is now at the heart of a resounding scandal. Another report from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) concerns the National Television of Haiti (TNH). Indeed, former Director-General Gamall Jules Augustin is accused of embezzlement of public property, abuse of power, and illegal conflict of interest for 'having transformed the public institution into a veritable personal fiefdom'. The ULCC investigation details illegal hosting of private media on the TNH site in Boutilliers, in defiance of all official procedures.
Beneficiaries include Kingdom FM, Vlaw FM, Zoom FM, and Banchh TV. These entities allegedly benefited from state facilities and resources without authorization or legal compensation. Phantom Subsidies and Overpriced Fuel Even more troubling, the ULCC documents the diversion of public subsidies and massive overbilling for fuel. An emblematic example: a bill for 6.8 million gourdes for fuel supply to a site… that was nevertheless closed. This practice, if confirmed, would constitute a direct drain on state coffers. What Now? The ULCC has recommended immediate legal proceedings and administrative measures in all documented cases: the MJSAC, the SNGRS, and the former Director-General of TNH, Gamall Jules Augustin. The latter is already in police custody at the Port-au-Prince Public Prosecutor's Office, while his administrator Halem Michel, considered an accomplice in several operations, is also being prosecuted by the ULCC. As the country goes through an unprecedented crisis, the alleged diversion of funds intended for the historical memory of Vertières appears as a symbolic betrayal. Without respect for our ancestors. As long as control mechanisms remain weak and sanctions remain theoretical, the millions diverted will continue to widen the gap between the state and the population, leaving behind congested streets, unsanitary neighborhoods, and a society exasperated by injustice. These cases, far from being isolated scandals, raise a fundamental question about the responsibility of public leaders in Haiti: how to rebuild citizens' trust in institutions supposed to serve the general interest. These cases must become symbols of a break with impunity, to avoid falling into the long list of unresolved cases and quietly awaiting prescription.
This decision allowed the operation to bypass normal state treasury control. Even more seriously, a private bank account was allegedly opened at the Banque Nationale de Crédit (BNC) to deposit public money. By circumventing institutional channels, the funds escaped the supervision mechanisms provided by the law on public finance management. Troubling Cash Flows The ULCC notes that 7.66 million gourdes were withdrawn in cash from this account, then handed directly to the minister's head of security, Jean Vilaire Maître, without conclusive justification. Investigators also mention suspicious cross-transfers: for example, the withdrawal of 2 million gourdes on November 26, 2024, followed on the same day by a deposit of an identical amount into the minister's personal account. Public Fuel, Private Generators At a time when garbage is accumulating in the streets of the capital, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) unveils a damning report on the management of the National Solid Waste Management Service (SNGRS). Between December 2021 and April 2024, the institution responsible for maintaining public sanitation was allegedly the scene of massive fuel embezzlement, amounting to an estimated 227.48 million gourdes. According to investigators, Director-General Germain Paulémon and his deputy Max Alex Joseph admitted to having used, for personal purposes, a portion of the diesel purchased by the institution. This fuel, financed by state funds, was allegedly used to power their private generators, even though it was intended for waste collection and treatment operations. This admission, rare in corruption cases, confirms that SNGRS leaders appropriated vital resources, to the detriment of the normal functioning of a public service already criticized for its inefficiency. Public Studios Serving Private Media What was supposed to be the audiovisual showcase of the Haitian state is now at the heart of a resounding scandal. Another report from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) concerns the National Television of Haiti (TNH). Indeed, former Director-General Gamall Jules Augustin is accused of embezzlement of public property, abuse of power, and illegal conflict of interest for 'having transformed the public institution into a veritable personal fiefdom'. The ULCC investigation details illegal hosting of private media on the TNH site in Boutilliers, in defiance of all official procedures.
Beneficiaries include Kingdom FM, Vlaw FM, Zoom FM, and Banchh TV. These entities allegedly benefited from state facilities and resources without authorization or legal compensation. Phantom Subsidies and Overpriced Fuel Even more troubling, the ULCC documents the diversion of public subsidies and massive overbilling for fuel. An emblematic example: a bill for 6.8 million gourdes for fuel supply to a site… that was nevertheless closed. This practice, if confirmed, would constitute a direct drain on state coffers. What Now? The ULCC has recommended immediate legal proceedings and administrative measures in all documented cases: the MJSAC, the SNGRS, and the former Director-General of TNH, Gamall Jules Augustin. The latter is already in police custody at the Port-au-Prince Public Prosecutor's Office, while his administrator Halem Michel, considered an accomplice in several operations, is also being prosecuted by the ULCC. As the country goes through an unprecedented crisis, the alleged diversion of funds intended for the historical memory of Vertières appears as a symbolic betrayal. Without respect for our ancestors. As long as control mechanisms remain weak and sanctions remain theoretical, the millions diverted will continue to widen the gap between the state and the population, leaving behind congested streets, unsanitary neighborhoods, and a society exasperated by injustice. These cases, far from being isolated scandals, raise a fundamental question about the responsibility of public leaders in Haiti: how to rebuild citizens' trust in institutions supposed to serve the general interest. These cases must become symbols of a break with impunity, to avoid falling into the long list of unresolved cases and quietly awaiting prescription.
