Originally posted at HaitiAction.net

WHERE: Rm. 204, Centre St. Pierre (1212 Rue Panet, between Rene Levesque and Rue St. Catherine St. East, nearest metro Beaudry), Montreal, QC, Canada

WHEN: Thursday, July 22, 2010, 10 am

WHO: The Committee for the Reimbursement of the Indemnity Money Extorted from Haiti (CRIME)

CRIME’s press conference on Thursday comes one week after the French government stated it was considering legal recourse against those behind the spoof announcement that France would repay the 90 million gold francs it had demanded in financial compensation from Haiti after the former French colony’s independence.

Continue reading In the News: Pursued by France for Haiti Hoax, group holds press conference in Montreal

Originally posted at Techday, July 16th, 2010

Hackers yesterday created a clone of the French Foreign Ministry website and made several outrageous announcements on behalf of the French government.

Adding insult to injury, the long awaited French Foreign Ministry website, a site that was to serve as promotional tool to attract foreign investors and tourists, failed on its first day live, creating not only an embarrassment but unintentional credibility to the faux site, which made several bogus declarations throughout the day.

Announcements made by the fake site, www.diplomatiegov.fr, included a pledge from France to pay “90 million francs” to Haiti to assist with post earthquake recovery.

The hackers also issued several fake press releases following the bogus declarations.

France’s foreign ministry says it is considering legal action against the pranksters.