Port-de-Paix residents renew calls for accountability in $5M city renovation scandal

PORT-DE-PAIX— As Haiti’s hurricane season looms, residents in Port-de-Paix are renewing calls for justice and accountability over a $5 million embezzlement scandal that derailed a crucial city renovation project. Approved in 2014 under the Martelly/Lamothe administration and funded through the PetroCaribe-backed Fund for Economic and Social Assistance (FAES), the project aimed to modernize the coastal city’s infrastructure, boost the local economy and improve daily life.

“This special plan could change the way we, the citizens of Port-de-Paix, live if a series of crooks hadn’t conspired to settle their personal affairs with it [the money],” Rodolph Pierre, 29, said.

According to a 2021 report from Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), at least 12 public officials and private contractors allegedly diverted the funds through illegal contract awards, shell companies and fictitious construction work. Despite these findings, no prosecutions have taken place.

The following is a list of government employees and contractors that the ULCC report has accused of defrauding the city.

• Lucien Francoeur, then Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office. Francoeur was responsible for coordinating the execution of the special project.
• Harry Adam, the director general of the Housing and Public Building Construction Unit (UCLBP). Adam awarded several contracts, including approximately $170,000 in road construction projects, to the shell company Unlimited Services Construction (USC), thereby violating public procurement regulations and tax laws. 

• Thierry Erns Serres, owner of Société Haïtienne de Construction (SOHACO) and Adam’s former colleague, was awarded a contract of over $150,000.

• Fred Lizaire, owner of Unlimited Services Construction.

• Adrien Ciné, an engineer and owner of E.S. Construction—a firm started just days before securing a contract worth nearly $50,000. The company’s first bank account was opened one month after signing the agreement. Ciné also owns the Center for Research, Development, and Construction (CREDCO), contracted for about $93,000, and serves as the executive director of SECOPLUS—another construction company involved in the same project.

• Engineer Evelt Sénatus, former deputy mayor of Port-de-Paix.

• Grégoire Desravines, owner of Mieux Construire or Build Better.

• Louystz Amyot François, former member of the Chamber of Deputies, representing Port-de-Paix. François is also an acquaintance of Desravines and Francoeur.

• Engineer Datilus Digué, owner of  Center for Research, Development and Construction (CREDCO).
• Rodolphe Némorin, owner of Alix Cinéas Construction or AC CONSTRUCTION—a firm contracted to build a sports complex for about $300,000—had received 60% of that amount upfront, but the work was never completed.

• Grégory Saliba, owner of HAITI WORXS, also obtained a contract worth approximately $151,000 and received 60% of the payment for only 15% of the work done.

•  Jorice Dorsainvil is also named in the ULCC report as an accomplice in conspiracy to award public contracts illegally.

Most affected projects and grassroots interventions

Among the unfulfilled projects is the renovation of the 47-year-old public market, also known as Marché-Bord-de-Mer—French for “Seaside Market”—where vendors continue to sell goods under makeshift shelters or in the open air. One million U.S. dollars was allocated for the market’s reconstruction.

 “This market should be redesigned, built, and well-equipped to meet public safety and modern standards,” Maryse Julien, a 65-year-old vendor, told The Haitian Times. “We can’t continue to display our goods under scraps of fabric.”

“The judicial authorities must use the ULCC report to prosecute the individuals who stole this money; it’s a big crime,” she added.

The one-mile-long La Tenderie canal, a key flood mitigation project, also remains untouched. An estimated $500,000 was earmarked for its restoration. The lack of progress in flood control contributed to devastating rains between November and December 2024, which left more than a dozen deaths, nearly 34,000 homes destroyed and over 275,000 residents affected.

Local activist Rodolph Pierre said the failure to complete these projects reflects a systemic betrayal. “This plan could have transformed our lives,” he said. “Instead, it’s made things worse.”

Multiple neighborhoods—including Morne Bethel, Cité Maxo, Morne Béthel, Desroulin and Cassave—remain without paved roads or working drainage systems. Meanwhile, waste collection remains insufficient, despite the city generating up to 70 tons of garbage daily.

Ilric Augustave, a former mayor, said the continued use of inadequate equipment and the lack of coordination among the city hall, the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC) and the Ministry of Environment have exacerbated the lack of reliable infrastructure.

Grassroots organization Sove Nòdwès or “Save the Northwest,” founded by diaspora members, has filled some of the void. They’ve organized clean-up campaigns, purchased a garbage truck and attempted to clear streets during patronal festivals and other festivities. But even their donated equipment has suffered theft, delays and bureaucratic red tape.

“Authorities are asking us for more than $13,000 to release a donated garbage truck from customs,” said the organization president, Amicy Clavaroche. “We get no help from the local government.”

With storms intensifying and sanitation declining, the people of Port-de-Paix say they can’t afford another year of inaction and impunity for those who abuse public trust.