By KUNA,
Geneva : The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) has frozen the assets of former Haitian leader Jean-Claude Duvalier as part of resumed judicial assistance proceedings. In addition it has announced that it has also given account holders until the end of September 2008 to prove the lawful origin of the funds concerned, which amount to some seven million Swiss francs.
If their response is not received within the set deadline, the FOJ will order the assets to be handed over to Haiti. The Federal Council has since resolved to lift the freeze that it had imposed on the assets of Duvalier and his associates. It had extended the freeze for a final time up to 31 August 2008 after the President of Haiti had undertaken to fight against legal immunity for Duvalier.