Four Members of the Haitian Swimming Federation Receive Multi-Year Ban after Misusing Funds

The Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) of World Aquatics banned four members of the Haitian Federation of Aquatics Sports (FHSA) after they were found to have misused $75,000 USD.

FHSA President Evenel Mervilus, executive director James Cius, and treasurer Jean Jean Remilus were suspended for 10 years as a result of their infractions, while adjunct treasurer Ruby King was suspended for five years.

AQIU began an investigation into the four members and their handling of funds back in January after Haitian Olympic Committee President Hans Larsen filed a complaint against the federation to World Aquatics.

The investigation found Mervilus, Cius and Remilus to have each violated the World Aquatics Integrity Code on four counts, including falsification and misuse of funds, while King was found to have violated the Code on three counts.

The group’s infractions included submitting falsified documents and receipts and failing to reimburse athletes’ travel expenses, even threatening to exclude them from competitions when concerns were raised. Around $75,000 in total was misappropriated from funds that had been allocated to support the institution’s operations as well as the nation’s athletes.

The average annual income for a worker in Haiti’s formal sector is around $2,000 per year.

Initially suspended back in early February, Cius’s and Remilus’s suspensions will conclude February 6, 2034. King’s and Mervilus’s suspensions were formally enacted on August 6, 2024 and will extend to August 6, 2029 and August 6, 2034, respectively.

Under the ban, the four members cannot participate in any aquatic-related activities or events on behalf of World Aquatics or any other continental organization, member federation or recognised body, nor can they attend World Aquatics international competitions, including the Olympic Games, in any capacity.

Mervilus has reportedly denied all allegations, instead accusing Larsen of being the one at fault.

According to Larsen, the Haitian Olympic Committee was aware of FHSA’s mismanagement of funds for approximately three years but was unable to rectify the problem internally, prompting him to file the complaint to World Aquatics.

The four FHSA members join a list of 21 other individuals who are currently banned or suspended by the AQIU after violating the World Aquatics Integrity Code.