Haitian presidential candidate held on gun charge

PORT-AU-PRINCE – A former Haitian police chief and ex-senator who is running for president was arrested by UN troops and Haitian police on weapons charges, police said.

Dany Toussaint was held for questioning by Chilean soldiers from the UN peacekeeping force after he was found with several illegal weapons during a visit to the northern city of Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s second largest city, police sources said. The weapons included firearms that Toussaint had obtained from Haiti’s Parliament for his personal protection when he was a senator from 2000 to 2004, a police commissioner in Cap-Haitien, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.His authorisation to carry those weapons ended when his senate term ended.”Dany Toussaint was carrying several weapons for which he has no valid authorisation,” said the police official who added Toussaint would have to appear before a judge to defend himself.Toussaint, who was police chief in 1995, was apparently visiting the northern region to campaign as part of his presidential bid.He was being held on Monday night at the police station in Cap-Haitien under special surveillance.Toussaint is suspected of drug trafficking by US Drug Enforcement Administration officials in Port-au-Prince but has never been charged with drug crimes by the United States and has denied involvement in criminal activities.A recent opinion survey conducted by CID-Gallup for the US Agency for International Development, showed Toussaint with support from only 2 percent of likely voters in the presidential election, while former President Rene Preval led with 32 per cent. -Nampa-ReutersThe weapons included firearms that Toussaint had obtained from Haiti’s Parliament for his personal protection when he was a senator from 2000 to 2004, a police commissioner in Cap-Haitien, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.His authorisation to carry those weapons ended when his senate term ended.”Dany Toussaint was carrying several weapons for which he has no valid authorisation,” said the police official who added Toussaint would have to appear before a judge to defend himself.Toussaint, who was police chief in 1995, was apparently visiting the northern region to campaign as part of his presidential bid.He was being held on Monday night at the police station in Cap-Haitien under special surveillance.Toussaint is suspected of drug trafficking by US Drug Enforcement Administration officials in Port-au-Prince but has never been charged with drug crimes by the United States and has denied involvement in criminal activities.A recent opinion survey conducted by CID-Gallup for the US Agency for International Development, showed Toussaint with support from only 2 percent of likely voters in the presidential election, while former President Rene Preval led with 32 per cent. -Nampa-Reuters