Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier from the country from 1971 to 1986 and served as the successor to his ruthless, iron-handed dad. Both father and son ransacked Haiti’s treasury, repressed their countrymen via the Tontons Macoutes militia, and have been accused of being behind the deaths of thousands of opponents. Since being exiled in France the over $6 million in Swiss bank assets of "Baby Doc" were frozen and in 2007 allowed portions of it were allowed to fund Haitian humanitarian projects.One day before last month’s massive earthquake ravaged Haiti, a Swiss court contradicted common sense and good judgment:
In an embarrassment to Switzerland's government, the country's top court said Wednesday that at least $4.6 million from Swiss bank accounts previously awarded to charities must be returned to the family of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.Ugh.
The decision was reached Jan. 12, just hours before the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, killing as many as 150,000 people. The amount of money being contested could feed more than 1 million Haitians for two weeks.
Image- The Telegraph
Online Sources- BBC News, The Latin Americanist, Washington Post
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