Investigator Reportedly Appointed in Haitian President's Murder Case 1 Month Later

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An official investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise had been stalled until Monday, when a lead investigator was finally appointed to the case over a month after the killing, the local Nouvelliste newspaper reported.

Judge Mathieu Chanlatte took the lead on the case after several other candidates refused, the news said on Tuesday. Chanlatte's appointment marked the beginning of an official investigation into the president's murder.

The head of the first instance court in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, who appointed Chanlatte, had requested safety guarantees for those involved in the investigation. Haiti's Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent said his department was responsible for Chanlatte's and other investigative judges' safety, according to Nouvelliste.

Former President Moise was shot dead at his residence in the early hours of July 7. His wife was wounded and received treatment at an American hospital.

Haitian authorities have detained over forty people, including eighteen Colombian citizens and five US citizens, as well as four police officers who are alleged to have been involved in the murder plot. The current head of the Haitian government, Ariel Henry, publicly doubted that the responsible persons were among those detained.