Economy September 28, 2015 | 8:02 am

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Haiti leader´s US$1.7M ´slush fund´ further roils Haiti-Dominican ties

Porta-u-Prince.- TheHaitian Government on Saturday timidly denied the authenticity of a memo which allegedlyshows that the ban on the import of 23 Dominican products is politically motivatedwith a US$1.7 million slush fund for president Michel Martelly´s candidate in thenext election.

The document,released by outlet Haiti Sentinel, affirms that the measure, which affects onlyDominican Republic, was a request from Haitian business organizations inexchange for US$1.7 million to fund the campaign presidential of Jovenel Moise,of the Haiti Tet Kale Party (PHTK), headed y Martelly.

Haiti Sentinel affirmsHaiti National Palace adviser Gregory Mayard-Paul, denied the veracity of the"issues raised in the memo in course" and when asked whether it waspossible that someone from the ruling PHTK could have written the noteMayard-Paul said "everything is possible."

Mayard-Paul, a lawyerand longtime Martelly friend said the two-page document that requests a seriesof actions to save Moise´s presidential campaign has no written signature and blamedthe opposition for an alleged strategy to tarnish Martelly´s candidate.

In addition to barringthe entry of 23 products by land, the memo has 12 "non-negotiable" demandsfor a first-round win for Moise.

The DominicanExporters Association has estimated between US $ 150 million to US $ 200million a year the losses of banning these products, among these, flour,cement, water and detergent.

Ambassador recalled

As expected the DominicanGovernment’s response to the ban was the call of its ambassador in Haiti, RubenSilie “for consultations.”

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