Aristide accused of corruption

Ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has been accused of misusing up to US$50 million ($73 million) in public funds, much of it believed to have been embezzled.

Investigator Paul Denis said a good deal of the money ended up in the personal accounts of close collaborators of Aristide, who fled Haiti in February 2004 after a revolt.

Earlier this year, Haiti reported that Aristide and senior aides had tried to siphon off around US$5 million from government accounts into private institutions. Aristide, in exile in South Africa, has denied the allegations.