Haiti: Wealthy Clifford Brandt arrested for kidnapping
by Ezili Dantò of HLLN
On Monday, October 22, 2012, Hollywood helped the Clintons inaugurate the US's flagship sweatshop at Caracol, Haiti. Outside, protesting Haitians who don't applaud are arrested and silenced. On Monday, October 22, 2012, another dirty business enterprise was being exposed while the Clintons and their wealthy Hollywood celebrity friends were showcasing the Caracol hoax, sharing a romantic moment -"opening Haiti," yet again, with the sharp media propaganda tools of providing relevant "jobs and housing" for Haiti.
Clifford Brandt, son of the wealthy Fritz Brandt and a member of one of Haiti’s billionaire families, was arrested at his place of business and put in handcuffs, accused of being the mastermind behind an organized kidnapping ring in Haiti.
According to Haiti officials, Clifford Brandt admitted his involvement in several kidnappings including the October 16, 2012 kidnapping of Coralie (23) and Nicolas Moscoso (24), two members of another wealthy Haiti family.
Clifford Brandt in handcuffs – arrested for involvement in kidnapping ring in Haiti
On Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, at 3:am, the morning after his arrest, interrogation and confession, Brandt took police to the place where the two young Moscoso adults were being held. Police freed them.
Clifford Brandt is the managing director of Mazda dealership in Delmas Haiti.
“His activity, indicated the Secretary of State for Public Security, Reginald Delva, “was to come to Haiti from his home in Miami, collect the ransom monies from his kidnapping enterprise in Haiti “
Local Haitians call this foreign-authored organized criminal activity: Ayisyen kidnape, Blan fè pri.
In a Haiti radio public broadcast, Haiti State Secretary of Public Security, Reginald Delva, interviewed by Gary Pierre Paul for Scoop FM maintains that documents show the kidnapping network Clifford Brandt is involved with demanded U.S. $2.5 million for the release of the two Moscoso victims. This is an on-going investigation explains Mr. Delva. He says authorities found a list of folks Clifford Brandt’s kidnapping ring had “a macabre plan” to kill or kidnap for the coming Christmas season. Oct. 23 2012 Scoop FM interview of Reginald Delva, State Secretary of Public Security by Gary Pierre Paul
Sources confirm that this well-connected mafia ring has been in operation for some time wreaking havoc in Haiti.
Many Haiti observers question whether the weak Haiti justice system will be bought out by the Brandt family, as its one of the most prominent families in Haiti where justice is oftentimes for sale. The Brandts’ friends include some of Haiti’s most powerful neocolonial corporate enemies whose many transnational businesses they give a Haiti subcontractor face to and mostly export all accumulated capital out, impoverishing Haiti, paying little to no taxes or tariffs. (See Haiti: The soul of Africa, not for sale; 05% of Haitians own 98% of Haiti’s wealth – Disaster capitalism; Shock-Doctrine Schooling in Haiti: Neoliberalism Off the Richter Scale; 206 years since Desalin.)
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We are not the kidnappers: Site Solèy Speaks, 2006 (HLLN archives)
Transcripts from Ezili/HLLN archives at "We are not Kidnappers"and Original Kreyòl Audio of Interview:We are not Kidnappers - Site Solèy speaks, May 22, 2006, Ezili Dantò Witness Project (English translation &Kreyòl audio.)
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The Untouchables: It will surprise no one in Haiti if this case is suddenly reduced to a rumor despite the photos of Mr. Brandt in handcuffs at the police station and Haiti State Secretary of Public Security, Reginald Delva public statements. Most likely, if the local Haiti authorities who broke this case are not serving a neo-colonial purpose, the ruling imperial hands may have them silenced, marginalized, fired or worse. Those who serve foreign interests, or are well connected enough to these authorities to buy their freedom, do not, like the criminalized Haiti poor, remain in prison.
In 2005, another wealthy Haitian businessman in Haiti was arrested in relation to a slew of kidnappings and crimes.
"According to police sources, the investigation in the disappearance of UNIBANK’s employee allowed police to uncover the existence of a huge and powerful network of crooks, linked with drug money laundering, kidnappings, and many other shady activities. The businessman Stanley Handal and the bank employee Genelus were apparently part of this network. " (An Important Businessman was Arrested in Relation to Kidnapping cases reported in Port-au-Prince.)Besides the Stanley Handal example, others connected to power and empire who still roam free, with complete impunity in US/UN occupied Haiti include: DEA-suspected drug trafficker Guy Philippe; the 2004 coup d'etat/US regime change paramilitary enforcers known as the Lame Timanchèt death squad assassins; Michael Lucius, a top Haitian police officer indicted for kidnapping; the 15 police officers who were to face the bar of justice for brutal murders ; Louis Jodel Chamblain; and Emmanuel "Toto" Constant, the FRAPH head of the 1991 coup detat/US regime change paramilitary enforcers charge with thousands of murders, rapes and crimes against humanity. Toto Constant was granted a US visa and residency until finally caught and put in prison on mere bank fraud charges there.
For decades, Haiti’s worst violence has been authored, not locally, but mostly imported. (Our nasty little racist war in Haiti; Eyewitness account of the abduction of President and First Lady Aristide of Haiti by the United States Special Forces, Obama’s offered HOPE is sweatshop slavery.)
Kidnapping in Haiti began to find a footing after the UN took over and with the 2004 US kidnapping of president Aristide out of Haiti back to Africa. The powerful, connected and wealthy are the worst purveyors of violence and corruption in Haiti. (Yo se chèf zinglendo yo, epi yo di se Nèg nan Geto, se ti malere k’ap bay pwoblèm: Corruption uninterrupted in Haiti)
The international and national media which are owned by the corporate organizations mostly benefiting from the status quo, will generally criminalized the poor, disenfranchised and working masses worldwide. This is why Ezili’s HLLN continually ask this most pertinent question
Why is there a UN, Chapter 7 peace enforcement mission in Haiti for 8 years? A country not at war, without a peace agreement to enforce and with less violence than most countries in the Western Hemisphere?” (See the UN’s own Global Study on Homicide at page 93 and Legacy of Impunity.)
The wealthy sons of Haiti’s Oligarchy, who’ve formed organized killing coup d’etat and criminal gangs known to local Haitians as, the Ninjas, have eluded the law and prison time. With their connections to power and the police, rarely have suspected members of the Ninjas spent time in prison and then not for long. Crime in Haiti is generally blamed on the poor in Site Solèy. (See transcripts at HLLN archives at “We are not Kidnappers” and Original Kreyòl Audio of Interview:We are not Kidnappers – Site Solèy speaks, May 22, 2006, Ezili Dantò Witness Project (English translation & Kreyòl audio.)
The distraction to note is that since this summer and throughout September 2012, the US-supported government has face almost daily protest demonstrations from practically all sectors of the society. This Brandt kidnapping case changes the discourse. Moves the focus from the people issues of foreign gold/oil pillage, the internationally sponsored Caracol hoax of jobs and housing for Haitians and basic discontent towards the Martelly/Lamothe government to this alluring Ninja Brandt kidnapping issue. On the street sources indicate that Clifford Brandt has bragged to having 275 Haiti police officers on his payroll and was in charge of 15 gangs.
Secretary of Public Safety, Reginald Delva, indicated that senior police officers and former police officers including former police inspector Mr. Edner Comé were actively being sought, suspected of being part this organized kidnapping ring. Clifford Brandt's lawyer, Calixte Delatour, interviewed by Gary Pierre Paul for Scoop FM
Brandt’s defense lawyer, Delatour Calixte, told Scoop radio that Brandt did lead police to where the two Moscoso victims were being held, but denied his client participated in a kidnapping.
Calixte told Scoop’s Gary Pierre Paul that “removing a person is not the same thing as kidnapping…There’s a difference between kidnapping and a personal feud.” Calixte, in his public radio Scoop interview, defended Brandt saying this was not a kidnapping as his client did not ask for a ransom. Calixte suggested Brandt may have organized their “removal” in a power play to settle a business dispute – that this was a settlement of scores between two wealthy families.
Calixte, when pressed, would not elaborate on the “personal feud” or as he said, “un règlement de compte” that caused the “removal” of the Moscoso victims who were found held hostage, handcuffed and blindfolded inside the abandoned residence Clifford Brandt took the police to. In researching this case, a quick internet name search of the Moscoso kidnapped victims garnered this FB post from the day of the kidnapping:
“Ayiti Pap Peri
Sa grav net “Haiti-kidnapping: Hier soir, vers 8hrs sur la route de bourdon, une patrouille de la #PNH cagoule aurait kidnappée #Nicholas Moscoso et sa soeur #Coralie. Source: Chantal M. Elie, Journaliste”
Nicolas and Coralie Moscoso, found handcuffed and blindfolded, were apparently kidnapped by fake police in black hoods and rescued by real police, also wearing black hoods. No wonder the victims kept their heads down and were so terrified to take off their blindfolds when their police rescuers appeared. (See Haiti police rescue video at 3:49).
Alterpresse reports that Brandt is the suspected mastermind of not only a kidnapping ring, but a powerful criminal syndicate practicing forgery, counterfeiting and money laundering.
During police searches conducted at Brandt's place, police said they found police equipment, flashing lights (des gyrophares) and a set of license plates of vehicles. They were planning "attacks against public authorities...This is a solid team. They are true professionals, which speaks of big organized crime," said Frantz Lerebours, spokesperson for the Haiti National Police (PNH) force.
More and more, this Clifford Brandt kidnapping case sounds like that other wealthy businessman kidnapping case, all over again. This time, perhaps the victims will be heard and it won't be business as usual.
One thing is for sure, Robert Moscoso, the father of the Brandt kidnapped victims, would probably have given his entire fortune to get his children back. The business model of making decisions based on cost effectiveness priorities and making a profit at all cost, suddenly did not apply.
Similarly, the profit consideration of foreigners is not worth the loss of life, livelihood, liberty or health of any Haitian. But the US, through the Clintons unregulated capitalists at Caracol, and in general in their reconstruction plans for Haiti, are casually swapping Haiti domestic interests, lives, livelihood, liberty, health, its future and environmental safety for getting the largest possible foreign profit to export out of Haiti. (See, Haiti: Foreign Investment means Death and Repression: A Historical Perspective.)
Until civil society stops equating business interests as the same as governmental interests or the common good, it will be business as usual. Where’s the Haitian, courageous enough to ride Galipòt - Janjak Desalin's fictional horse - and put a stop to the organized international crimes in Haiti? Perhaps it’s the ones, like the policemen, who risked their lives and careers to rescue the Moscoso victims. Chapo ba and kudos to them.
Here is a Kreyòl radio broadcast of the Galipòt story and where voiceless Haiti, not the Avatar crew, speak about their lives in Caracol Haiti. Haitians working at Caracol speak to LakouNewYork, say the 200gds (about $4:74 per day) is slave wage, "they're taking my health, this is not jobs for Haiti."
Ezili Dantò
HLLN
Oct. 23, 2012
(Check this link for updates.)
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Background Information
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(Check this link for updates)
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In the photo, Haiti Oligarch, Grégory Brandt, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Franco-haïtienne : “Mes enfants ont étudié à l’étranger mais ont choisi de revenir à Haïti malgré la situation. Et j’en suis très fier” - "My children studied abroad, but they chose to come back to Haiti, despite the situation. It is my greatest source of pride." Crédits : Paolo Woods / Institute (Source: Les Nantis D’Haiti;Haiti's 1 Percent: A look at the lives of plenty in the land of the poor.) Serving maids, gardeners and butlers for blan (foreigners). Clinton/Obama and the Haiti Oligarchs “development” for Haiti is Caribbean-style tourism where Haiti’s huddled masses are exotic backdrop, convenient bodies and props for privileged Northern tourists, Paul Farmer’s false NGO benevolence and the Caracol hoax used to fleece Haiti out of its vast oil, coast lands, $20billion in gold and mineral resources.
**** "Clinton’s oversized role in Haiti only makes sense when we remember that both the left and right see Haiti through deeply racist lenses...Clinton is the co-chair of the Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti. He is the UN Special Envoy for Haiti. And he is the co-director of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, a foundation involved in number of neoliberal economic initiatives in Haiti. Clinton justifies his involvement by saying he is “responding to the needs of Haitians.” But what needs? Which Haitians? And to what end?" (Bill Clinton Loves Haiti by Jemima Pierre, Black Agenda Report, Oct. 23, 2012)
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"...although the oppressed often do revolt, the object of their hostility is misplaced. They vent their fury on a political puppet, someone who masks colonial power, a despised racial or ethnic group or an apostate within their own political class. The useless battles serve as an effective mask for what Gamer calls the “patron-client” networks that are responsible for the continuity of colonial oppression. The squabbles among the oppressed, the political campaigns between candidates who each are servants of colonial power, Gamer writes, absolve the actual centers of power from addressing the conditions that cause the frustrations of the people. Inequities, political disenfranchisement and injustices are never seriously addressed.”( Colonized by Corporations )
Disaster Capitalism: 0.5 % in Haiti – Haiti’s Oligarchy – own 98% of Haiti wealth through monopolies supported by Western policymakers and corporations
Haiti: Where Has All the Money Gone? – Vijaya Ramachandran and Julie Walz
The Subcontracted Haitians – Haiti overseers
Une Bourgeoisie déracinée!
Haiti servants of colonial power:
The mercenary families
Ezili Dantò: Haïti, une invasion sous couverture humanitaire
Swapping Haiti Lives: False aid, charity, orphanages, false Caracol jobs, housing or Haiti – pretext for the fake humanitarians to steal Haiti sovereignty, land & resources
Avatar unobtainium are Haiti Riches
Unobtanium in Haiti
Oil in Haiti – Economic Reasons for the UN/US occupation
Gold Rush in Haiti – Good for whom?Video - Ezili Dantò: Haïti, une invasion sous couverture humanitaire
Oil in Haiti and Oil Refinery - an old notion for Fort Liberte as a
transshipment terminal for US supertankers
Video: Oil - Strategic denial of oil in Haiti
A Massive Oil Mine in Haiti ****
To: Ezili Network Listserve
Subject: [ezilidanto] Searching for Desalin's horse on Caracol holocaust day-Which living Haitian can ride Galipòt? | Haitians working at Caracol speak to LakouNewYork say the 200gds is slave wage, 'they're taking my health, this is not jobs for Haiti' | Obama: The African American Achilles Heel |Third piece of US election theater, the duopoly debates itself with nobody there to provide the irrefutable facts
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:31:38 -0700 (PDT)
Ezili Dantò's Note: Here is a Kreyòl radio broadcast where voiceless Haiti, not the Avatar crew, speak about their lives in Caracol Haiti.
Haitians working at Caracol speak to LakouNewYork, say the 200gds is slave wage, "they're taking my health, this is not 'jobs for Haiti.'"
Manno, the broadcaster, points out that the minimum wage is now 300gds (as of Oct 1, 2012) not 200gds. The Caracol workers say they are only paid 200gds and not on time and it doesn't cover their expenses whatsoever. One worker explains how she is treated like trash - like a second class citizen within the industrial park. http://lakounewyork.com/emisyon10-22-12.mp3
Also, this audio (in Kreyòl) begins with Koralen's Galipòt. Searching for Desalin's horse on Oct 22nd Caracol holocaust day. This Koralen performance piece asks the question "Where is the living Haitian who can ride Galipòt?" "Galipòt," the author explains is Desalin's horse who wanders Haiti looking for another warrior who can walk his path. http://lakounewyork.com/emisyon10-22-12.mp3
Yesterday, during the opening of the Caracol park, those Haitians who didn't readily applaud the Martelly gov, the Clintons, Sean Penn, Richard Branson, Donna Karen Avatar crew, the opening of the Caracol mothership/Avatar Haiti were pushed out of the way, some even immediately arrested. One person who talked on this Oct 22nd broadcast about the repression was immediately arrested by the special police from Fort Liberte.
Listen to:
Lakou New York Broadcast reporting on Oct 22, 2012
Another brutal October day for Haiti is celebrated by the "star-studded" Avatar crew - Sean Penn, Ben Stiller, Donna Karan, Richard Branson & the beyond-the-pale Clintons share a romantic moment. (The Avatar Movie from a Haitian perspective)
But this was the general mainstream media's reporting Avatar Caracol mothership piloted by Clintons opened #Haiti again w/ sharp media propaganda tools= "jobs, housing for Haiti."
Ezili Dantò of HLLN
Oct 23, 2012
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Forwarded by Ezili's Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
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Monday, Oct 22, 2012 marking day of brutal Haiti sorrow is celebrated by the "star-studded" Avatar crew (Sean Penn, Ben Stiller, Donna Karan, Richard Branson, led also by the beyond-the-pale Clinton capitalist vampires, giving cover for the corporate stealing of Haiti's unobatainium -$20+billion, vast oil reserves in Northern Haiti, its coast lands and dismissing its cultural heritage: Bill and Hillary Share Romantic Moment In Haiti - (See, Haiti: Foreign Investment means Death and Repression: A Historical Perspective.)
Criminally accused Sae-A Helps Continue the Euro/US "New Day" for Haiti
The Avatar Movie from a Haitian perspective
