Ex-Haiti mayor accused of killing, torture faces civil trial

By MARK PRATT
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Attorneys painted widely different pictures of the former mayor of a Haitian town who is on trial in the U.S., accused of terrorizing his political opponents. The suit against Jean Morose Viliena began Monday in a federal court in Boston. The case highlights the violence and lack of accountability in Haiti’s politics. In openings, the defense said that Viliena was a successful mayor who improved the town. But an attorney for the three plaintiffs who say they or their relatives were violently persecuted by Viliena said he violently suppressed and intimidated his political foes. Viliena now lives in Malden.