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Switzerland court rejects assets claim by family of Haiti ex-president Duvalier

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A Swiss court has denied an appeal by the family of former Haitian president Jean-Claude Duvalier to claim money hidden in Swiss banks by Duvalier while he led the island nation. The family's claim was rejected by the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland, because the family could not prove that the money had come from legal means. Duvalier's family may appeal the decision to deny recovery of the nearly $7 million to the Federal Supreme Court within 10 days. In the event the Supreme Court rejects the appeal, it seems certain that the funds will be returned to Haiti to provide aid to what is one of the poorest nations in the world. Duvalier, also known as "Baby Doc," is the son of former Haitian leader Francois Duvalier, or "Papa Doc," whom he succeeded as leader in 1971. Following a tumultuous reign, which included accusations of thousands of murders by his regime, Duvalier fled Haiti in 1986, and has since resided in France. In 2007, current Haitian leader Rene Preval expressed a renewed commitment to bring Duvalier to justice, despite Duvalier's pleas for forgiveness.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 18, 2009 (boomark / email).