HNP NO. 3 LUCIUS RESIGNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 002207 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 TAGS: PGOV KCRM KJUS SNAR HA SUBJECT: HNP NO. 3 LUCIUS RESIGNS REF: PAUP 2187 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Thomas C. Tighe, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) . ¶1. (U) Michael Lucius, the third ranking member of the Haitian police (HNP),on November 15 submitted his resignation from his post as head of Haiti,s judicial police (DCPJ) to HNP Director General Andresol. Lucius' resignation comes on the heels of Judge Napela Saintil's recusal from the case in which he had summoned Lucius to answer charges of involvement in kidnapping (reftel). A teary-eyed Lucius announced his resignation in a 20-minute televised press conference, and commented that he is "at the disposal of the justice of his country" ) implying that he would submit to the summons before another judge. Lucius again disputed the charges against him, stating that the kidnapper who originally implicated him recanted when confronted by Lucius in front of Judge Saintil. Lucius also stated that he has asked to be reassigned to another position within the HNP. ¶2. (C) Comment. DG Andresol has not yet publicly commented, but most observers expect he will accept Lucius' resignation and reassign him. Lucius and Andresol told Emboffs previously that this was their prefered resolution to the crisis, as long as they did not have to cede the principle of Lucius not appearing before Saintil, whose motives, they are convinced, were completely corrupt. ¶3. (C) Comment Continued. MINUSTAH Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Warren commented to Polcouns that Lucius' resignation removed one headache from the HNP vetting process, which he has just begun with the HNP leadership. MINUSTAH officials accepted, he said, that Saintil's summons was baseless, but some believed that the vetting process would have revealed other derogatory information. Noting that Lucius was energetic and competent in directing the DCPJ, Warren believed the main problem now was for Andresol to find an equally effective replacement. TIGHE