Suspect In The Assassination Of Haitian President Jovenel Moise Dies Of Complications From Coronavirus Symptoms

JAKARTA - A suspect in the July assassination plot against Haitian President Jovenel Moise, died while being transferred to hospital from pretrial detention after suffering symptoms of the coronavirus, his wife said on Wednesday.

Gilbert Dragon, 52, the former police commissioner, died of a heart attack, said Marie Leslie Noel, adding she spent two weeks transferring him to hospital and struggling to complete COVID-19 tests in time.

"Finally I got permission to take him to the hospital this afternoon, and he died on the way," Noel said, citing Reuters on November 18.

"I've been struggling to get him out for two weeks," he continued. Interior Minister Liszt Simply did not respond to a request for comment.

Haiti's National Police said in an August report that Gilbert Dragon had contact with other suspects on the night of President Jovenel Moise's assassination on July 7 and had participated in meetings to plan it.

Noel said her husband was unjustly jailed and he was asleep in their home the night the murder took place. He said Dragon went to speak to investigators on his own accord after hearing that police had been looking for him.

"I'm really looking forward to the trial because I want to see the evidence they have," he said.

As previously reported, Turkey's national police arrested a Haitian businessman wanted for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise Monday night.

The suspect, identified as Samir Handal, is listed on an international arrest warrant. He was under Interpol surveillance and was arrested at Istanbul Airport after arriving on a transit flight from the United States, according to media reports.

Temporary detention order for 40 days was issued by the Ministry of Justice. Currently, the man who also has Palestinian and Jordanian passports is being held in Istanbul's Maltepe Prison, Turkey, citing Daily Sabah on November 16.

Haitian Foreign Minister Claude Joseph said on Twitter he spoke to his Turkish counterpart about the arrest but did not provide further details, including whether Haiti would seek the man's extradition.

He has been named a suspect in the plot to assassinate President Jovenel Moise, although the government has not yet detailed his alleged involvement.

To note, Haiti has made more than three dozen arrests, including a group of former Colombian military officers, in connection with the investigation into Moise's murder.