News
Martelly returns after undergoing surgery
His departure coincided with anger over the jailing of a lawmaker who had been openly critical of the president. Police locked up legislator Arnel Belizaire for a night because they said he had escaped from the national prison on the chaotic day of the earthquake that shattered the capital on Jan. 12, 2010.
The detention of Belizaire, rare for a government official because investigators need to formally submit a request to lift immunity, sparked outrage among members of both houses in Parliament. The Chamber of Deputies called for the removal of two Cabinet ministers and another official who they believed followed Martelly’s orders to lock up Belizaire.
Martelly and Belizaire had lashed out at each other on the grounds of the National Palace.
Martelly hadn’t commented on the arrest until Thursday at the international airport, when he denied having any influence on the police action.
“Close or far away, the presidency doesn’t have anything to do with the” matter, he said.
Martelly said he has asked his prime minister, Garry Conille, to set up a commission to examine what led to the arrest and to prevent something similar from happening again.
Copyright 2011. The Associated Press.
