A/HRC/22/65 the declaration of assets in 2008, the Anti-Corruption Unit has registered only 562 civil servants as having completed the formalities required under that law.5 37. As for case handling, the independent expert recalls that the prompt establishment of specialized chambers to deal with certain serious crimes in which political factors come into play and with economic and financial crimes would undoubtedly be one way of tackling corruption more effectively. These specialized chambers, made up of judges supported by qualified and capable investigators, would handle crimes of kidnapping and aggravated abduction, serious offences with political overtones and other grave human rights violations. They would also be responsible for dealing with economic and financial crimes such as concealment of assets and money-laundering. 38. Popular justice. Numerous cases of public lynchings are reported on a regular basis. The increase in the number of such cases reflects a lack of confidence in the capacities of the police and justice system: these acts of violence and lynchings are not investigated and the perpetrators go unpunished. The independent expert is aware that prosecuting the perpetrators is often difficult, since they are anonymous crowds and the public are often reluctant to reveal their identities. However, investigations must be conducted and a clear signal must be sent by the authorities at the highest level that no one in a State governed by the rule of law is entitled to take the law into his or her own hands. 39. The independent expert welcomes the prevention-oriented activities undertaken by MINUSTAH on the ground to draw attention to the importance of the right to life and the role of the judiciary. He recommends that donors subsidize training to roll out these activities nationwide. 40. Legal aid. The national legal aid system continues to function through legal aid bureaux in several jurisdictions, either with the assistance of the Port-au-Prince Bar or with international funding. In an earlier report,6 the independent expert drew the attention of the Human Rights Council to the fragility of the system. The system could not have been put in place without funding from the International Legal Assistance Consortium, which has been temporarily replaced by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)7 and the Community Violence Reduction Section. It is imperative that ongoing support for this system, under which assistance is offered to many parties at law, should be provided pending the establishment, in law, of a proper national legal aid system under the supervision of the Haitian State. C. Prison system and extended pretrial detention 41. One issue that is constantly being raised is that of the close link between extended pretrial detention and prison overcrowding. On each of his visits, the independent expert spends time in detention facilities, police stations and prisons, but without seeing any real improvement in the situation. 42. In December 2012, there were 8,860 persons in total in the country’s 17 prisons, as compared with 1,935 in 2004. With regard to space, the Government has proposed a plan to create 5,700 new places in prisons. These places will be needed, given the marked increase in the size of the prison population. 5 6 7 8 Statement by the Director of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Antoine Atouriste, broadcast on Radio Métropole on 26 June 2012. A/HRC/17/42, para. 47. Union de Naciones Suramericanas. GE.13-10672