Presidential candidate of Haiti, Dany Toussaint, arrested by United Nations troops

January 3, 2006

Former senator and former police chief Dany Toussaint was arrested by United Nations troops on alleged possession of illegal weapons. According to police sources Toussaint was arrested by Chilean troops when they found the weapons on him in Cap-Haitien. Toussaint was driving through a police checkpoint when the troops spotted the weapons and arrested him.

One police official said, "Dany Toussaint was carrying several weapons for which he has no valid authorization."

Among the alleged weapons are those obtained from parliament when Toussaint became a senator, but they were to be returned when his term as senator ended. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has suspected Toussaint of drug trafficking in the past. Toussaint was also the suspect in the 2000 murder of a radio journalist, Jean Dominique. Currently Toussaint runs a private security company.