SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) 鈥 L茅on Charles, the former chief of Haiti鈥檚 春色直播 Police who was recently accused in the assassination of President Jovenel Mo茂se, announced Thursday that he was stepping down as permanent representative of Haiti to the Organization of American States.
The announcement comes just days after a final report from a judge investigating the July 2021 killing . He is accused of murder, attempted murder, possession and illegal carrying of weapons, conspiracy against the internal security of the state and criminal association.
Charles wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he resigned 鈥渋n order to have free rein to defend myself against the far-fetched accusations included in this ruling of shame!鈥
In a letter dated Feb. 21 that he posted on X, Charles said he would resign immediately and denounced that he was implicated 鈥渋n an absolutely unjust and slanderous manner.鈥
He also wrote that he would 鈥渧igorously fight鈥 by all legal means available the accusations against him to clear his name and 鈥渃leanse his honor.鈥
Charles, who was police chief when Mo茂se was killed, is one of several suspects facing the most serious charges. Scores of others, , face lesser charges.
The judge noted in his report that the president called Charles in the midst of the brutal attack at his residence in the pre-dawn hours, but that Charles did not take any action in the 18 minutes that passed before Mo茂se called another high-ranking official for help.
The judge wrote that Charles 鈥渃laimed not to have been able to arrive at the president鈥檚 house鈥 and noted that he did not rush to the scene.
The report also stated that one of the main suspects in the case told authorities that Charles participated 鈥渋n many meetings鈥 ahead of the killing to plot the arrest of the president, which was the original objective before orders supposedly changed at the last minute to kill him.
More than 40 suspects already have been arrested in the case and remain behind bars in Haiti awaiting trial. Another 11 suspects have been prosecuted by U.S. federal authorities.
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