OPEN LETTER TO THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY FROM: EMMANUEL ROY LEWISBURG, PA A lawsuit filed by Jean Marie Vorbe, and Vorbe et Fils claims that an article that I wrote entitled: ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN HAITI OR MONEY BONANZA FOR LAURENT LAMOTHE AND COMPANY defamed them. First, I am a freelance writer unassociated with any particular newspaper or news outlets. My articles are well researched and factually supported by unquestionable evidence. The article subject to the litigation was published on numerous social media including Haitian Newspapers both in Haiti and in the Haitian Diaspora. ToutHaiti is not responsible for the content of the article, and cannot be held liable for same anymore than Facebook, Twitter and other social media. In the lawsuit, the Vorbes claim that their forty-three years of stellar reputation has been tarnished by a criminal, a convicted felon, a liar. A credit that I wish to share with the international community including most NGOs, and US media outlets such as the Miami Herald, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times who often classify and describe the haitian elite to which the Vorbes belong as the most corrupt and repugnant elite of any country. The facts are undisputable. In the last forty-three years, the Vorbes have amazed a considerable fortune building substandards, unsafe roads in Haiti, using cheap materials, and failing to abide by international standards for road construction which threaten the safety of not only local haitian drivers, but foreign visitors as well. The Vorbes have been able to do this for so long because of politicians like Laurent Lamothe willing to accept bribes in exchange for granting contracts. The Vorbes have been for many years until Estrella entered the business, the only company receiving contract for road construction in Haiti. Beside my article, there have been hundred of similar articles including many in Miami Herald questioning Prime Minister Laurent Lamothes wisdom of granting $462 million dollars of no-bid contracts to certain companies in violation of Haitian law which says that any contract above a million dollars must go through a bidding process. Vorbes et Fils is a beneficiary of the no-bid contract. This lawsuit is an attempt to silence and deter further publication of similar article by forcing the defendant in this case ToutHaiti to incur expenses defending a frivolous lawsuit. Laurent Lamothes lawsuit against Haiti Observateur is demonstrative of this kind of tactics. As to their claim against me, those who know me, know that I am not afraid to speak. I will address this issue when my case is over. You will be surprise how many innocent people are in jail especially for speaking truth to power. If I was in Haiti, I am sure I would probably be in jail - so Haiti is no different than the United States at least when it comes to Me. Emmanuel Roy Lewisburg, PA
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 23:51:16 +0000
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