What belongs to the dog will end up in the crocodile’s mouth.” In Haiti, this proverb carries a painful truth: public money intended for the people rarely reaches them—it disappears into the jaws of corruption.
Corruption & Governance | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | August 20, 2025
The arrest of Joseph Delinx, a senior accountant at the Ministry of Defense, and his wife at Guy Malary International Airport in Clercine this week is more than just another scandal—it is a mirror reflecting Haiti’s chronic disease: a state apparatus hijacked by greed. Authorities intercepted the couple carrying an undisclosed but significant sum of cash, immediately raising suspicions of embezzlement, laundering, or both.
The couple was transferred directly to the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) for questioning, where they remain in custody. While the authorities have yet to disclose the exact amount or origin of the funds, the arrest has already ignited public debate about the ease with which state insiders siphon money out of Haiti while millions of citizens remain trapped in poverty.
Clercine: A Symbol of Escape and Betrayal
The fact that the arrest occurred at Clercine is telling. The airport has long been viewed as the departure point not only for Haiti’s diaspora but also for corrupt officials smuggling wealth abroad. In a country where public servants are often unpaid, and teachers and nurses go months without salaries, the spectacle of a government accountant allegedly attempting to fly out with bags of cash is a direct insult to the nation’s suffering majority.
It underscores the cynicism of a system where the guardians of state resources act as predators, stripping the treasury bare while hiding behind bureaucratic titles. Clercine becomes not just a physical space but a metaphor: the exit door through which the country’s stolen wealth vanishes.
A Rotten System, Not Just a Single Man
To treat Delinx’s arrest as an isolated case would be a grave mistake. The reality is that he is but a cog in a larger machine of corruption. The Ministry of Defense, like many government institutions in Haiti, has long been plagued by opacity, mismanagement, and networks of officials who see their positions as opportunities to enrich themselves rather than serve the public good.
What is at stake here is not just the fate of one accountant and his wife, but the credibility of the Haitian state itself. Each scandal chips away at public trust, further alienating a population that already feels abandoned.
The Crocodile’s Mouth
The proverb “What belongs to the dog will end up in the crocodile’s mouth” captures the tragedy of Haiti’s governance. Funds meant to secure the nation—whether to pay soldiers, support security operations, or provide stability—never reach their intended purpose. Instead, they disappear into private pockets, swallowed by a system that rewards greed and punishes honesty.
The Haitian people are left defenseless, forced to live in insecurity, while those entrusted with safeguarding national interests gamble with the country’s survival.
Public Outrage and Silence from Above
Unsurprisingly, the arrest has triggered shockwaves within the administration. Yet the silence of top officials is deafening. Not a single high-ranking authority from the Ministry of Defense has addressed the issue publicly. This silence betrays not ignorance but complicity. How can such large sums of money be moved without networks of protection inside the ministry itself?
The Haitian people deserve answers: Who authorized these funds? Who else is implicated? And how long has this siphoning been allowed to continue unchecked?
The Rot Runs Deep
Haiti’s current predicament is not simply the result of poverty—it is the result of betrayal. When those tasked with protecting national resources become their chief predators, the state collapses from within.
This arrest, no matter how shocking, is only the tip of the iceberg. There are countless Joseph Delinxes scattered across ministries, municipalities, and state enterprises—low-profile bureaucrats whose names mean little to the public but whose actions bleed the country dry.
If Haiti continues down this road, the crocodile’s mouth will remain open, devouring the nation’s resources piece by piece. The Haitian Pulse stands firmly in its commitment to expose these betrayals and hold those in power accountable. The people must demand more than the arrest of scapegoats—they must demand a dismantling of the system that feeds corruption at every level. What belongs to the Haitian people must finally return to the Haitian people.
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