Ex-Haiti official, 9 years in telecom bribery case
Former Haitian official gets 9-year prison sentence in telecom bribery case
MIAMI (AP) -- A former top executive at Haiti's telecommunications company has been sentenced to nine years in prison in a major bribery case.
A federal judge in Miami imposed the sentence Monday on 45-year-old Jean Rene Duperval, former international relations director at state-owned Haiti Teleco.
Evidence at Duperval's trial in March showed he took nearly $500,000 in bribes from two Miami businesses in exchange for lower long-distance phone contracts and other advantages with Haiti Teleco from 2003 to 2004. Testimony showed Duperval used the money mainly for personal expenses such as a home mortgage and children's education costs.
Eight Haitian officials and Miami telecommunications executives have pleaded guilty to or have been convicted of corruption or money laundering in the scheme. The case was brought under the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
