Corruption at the FNE: Lawyers for former director Jean Ronald Joseph respond to ULCC's wanted notice
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
In an unprecedented move, Jean Ronald Joseph's lawyers have served an official request to the ULCC and the Public Prosecutor's Office in Port-au-Prince to challenge the wanted notice issued against their client. This formal response, transmitted on November 13 by bailiff, marks a new turning point in the alleged corruption case at the National Education Fund (FNE).
A new episode has been added to the file concerning the former administration of the National Education Fund (FNE). Without delay after the dissemination of a wanted notice targeting former director general Jean Ronald Joseph, his lawyers officially responded.
On November 13, 2025, bailiff Jume Cadet, from the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, served the ULCC and the Government Commissioner with a formal request challenging the nature of this notice, in an act now registered with the Public Prosecutor's Office. According to this document, the former director — who has been residing in Canada since his replacement in February 2025 — claims to be surprised to be presented as « on the run ». His legal representatives assert that he is in regular contact with the ULCC through his lawyers. Summoned but did not appear According to a source close to the case, Jean Ronald Joseph had been summoned at the beginning of September but was unable to appear. Summoned by the ULCC, he had submitted a medical certificate signed by a Canadian doctor, requesting the postponement of his hearing to October for health reasons. His lawyers confirm in their request that their client « does not enjoy robust health » and has been undergoing regular medical treatment since his arrival in Canada. They state that they communicated this information to the ULCC in a correspondence dated September 18. The ULCC investigates acts of corruption The ULCC's wanted notice, published on November 10, is part of an investigation focusing on:
abuse of office, embezzlement of public funds, misuse of corporate assets, obstruction of justice. This investigation covers the period when Jean Ronald Joseph headed the FNE, from December 20, 2021, until the end of his three-year statutory term. Lawyers denounce damage to reputation In the served document, the lawyers argue that their client is a « high-ranking professional » who has « always respected republican principles in the management of state assets ». They request that any hearing be held in a « healthy, independent, and free from any political agenda » setting. They also warn anyone who would attempt to « tarnish his image and reputation, built at the cost of many sacrifices ». A turning point in the case The transmission of this request by bailiff, officially registered with the Public Prosecutor's Office, constitutes the first formal response from the former director of the FNE since the case resurfaced. It opens a new phase in the standoff between the ULCC, which claims to be actively searching for the former senior official, and the defense, which maintains that its client has never sought to evade justice but requests a « regular » procedure compatible with his state of health. The case, already sensitive, is now expected to see several new developments. The editorial team
On November 13, 2025, bailiff Jume Cadet, from the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, served the ULCC and the Government Commissioner with a formal request challenging the nature of this notice, in an act now registered with the Public Prosecutor's Office. According to this document, the former director — who has been residing in Canada since his replacement in February 2025 — claims to be surprised to be presented as « on the run ». His legal representatives assert that he is in regular contact with the ULCC through his lawyers. Summoned but did not appear According to a source close to the case, Jean Ronald Joseph had been summoned at the beginning of September but was unable to appear. Summoned by the ULCC, he had submitted a medical certificate signed by a Canadian doctor, requesting the postponement of his hearing to October for health reasons. His lawyers confirm in their request that their client « does not enjoy robust health » and has been undergoing regular medical treatment since his arrival in Canada. They state that they communicated this information to the ULCC in a correspondence dated September 18. The ULCC investigates acts of corruption The ULCC's wanted notice, published on November 10, is part of an investigation focusing on:
abuse of office, embezzlement of public funds, misuse of corporate assets, obstruction of justice. This investigation covers the period when Jean Ronald Joseph headed the FNE, from December 20, 2021, until the end of his three-year statutory term. Lawyers denounce damage to reputation In the served document, the lawyers argue that their client is a « high-ranking professional » who has « always respected republican principles in the management of state assets ». They request that any hearing be held in a « healthy, independent, and free from any political agenda » setting. They also warn anyone who would attempt to « tarnish his image and reputation, built at the cost of many sacrifices ». A turning point in the case The transmission of this request by bailiff, officially registered with the Public Prosecutor's Office, constitutes the first formal response from the former director of the FNE since the case resurfaced. It opens a new phase in the standoff between the ULCC, which claims to be actively searching for the former senior official, and the defense, which maintains that its client has never sought to evade justice but requests a « regular » procedure compatible with his state of health. The case, already sensitive, is now expected to see several new developments. The editorial team
