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Bern, Switzerland (Le Temps, Fre) – Baby Doc Duvalier, former Haitian dictator, and his famiy will have access to SFr7.6 million in Swiss bank accounts in June unless there is a last-minute surprise. The money was blocked in 2002 by the Swiss government when Haiti accused its former leader of embezzling more than $100 million before he fled the country in 1986. Switzerland has since

then negotiated with the Duvalier family, now in France, but no
agreement has been reached. The failure is a blow to the Swiss
government , which has recently negotiated negotiated settlements over
other frozen funds of former heads of government. In early May 2007 a
settlement was found for the distribution of $78 million in Kazakhstan funds in Swiss banks.

At fault is a gap in the legal system: Switzerland must negotiate with all parties concerned, but one of them, Haiti, is too politically unstable to carry out its responsibilities in the negotiations. A country accusing former leaders must be in a position to provide certain guarantees which include legal proceedings. Paul Seger, head of legal affairs for the Swiss foreign affairs department, told a meeting of the Swiss press last week that the situation is "politically and morally irresponsible." The Duvalier family, which has always claimed the money in question did not belong to Baby Doc, has had only to wait out the deadline, he pointed out. The Duvaliers’ lawyers in Geneva, Alain Macaluso and Isabelle Poncet, told Le Temps that there has been no agreement since the Confederation presented a proposal and their clients could not accept it.

Background, Duvalier’s dictatorship: "Haiti Bad Times for Baby Doc," Time Magazine, 10 February 1986.