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According to news investigator Milton Pineda, Leonel has sent various government officials to try to pay him off by an amount of RD1.5M. They are also trying to shut down his two television shows but the reporter says he isn't backing down for anything. I applaud him and wish we had more like him. Feel free to post more info.
See story titled " 1,500,000 PARA QUE NO HABLARA CASO SUN LAND" in the link below:
SANTIAGO30CABALLEROS.COM
What will you replace him with?
Another corrupt leader or another Hipolito?
Sometimes it better to choose the devil you know over the one you don't
Hold him to account after he has finished like most dictators in the world they normally get caught later in life......remember Pinochet?
Skippy1
Leonel is not a dictator- remember the DR is a democracy with more democratic election than many first world countries.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippy1
Chip,
Can you provide a brief synopsis on what the Sun Land case is for those who don't know?
Thanks.
Bob
I know it was a bad use of the language I am not suggesting he is a dictator just refering to how sometimes dictators are brought to book later in life hence Pinochet who died before the people could try him.
I believe he will be re-elected but I am sure he is not the squeeky clean person he is portrayed as either (in the media abroad)
Skippy1
It appears Bautista ,a government official in Leonel's administration, approved a loan to the Sun Land company, without following the normal mandated protocals by law. Also, it appears questionable the use of the money and if it will ever be repayed. A typical case of misappropriated funds by the DR government elite.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Tigre
Leonel y la SunLand
http://www.almcms.com/contrib/conten...l-Decision.pdf
Final court order on Sunland...
Thank you Pichard for that attachment when read slowly several times is clear.What Chip wrote is not correct ,,,he may have thought the case related to the construction at the University but it does not . It refers to an irrigation project in the Azua district which was a contract between the DR, a DR agency and Sunland of Florida .The contracts were written during the Presidency of Mejia and things proceeded in an unsatisfactory manner until 2004 when there was a change of government,Leonel became President and in his first term Sunland was advised the contract would not proceed further . Whether this was because of lack of funding or because of unsatisfactory work is not clear but the DR was sued in a Florida court and in 2013 judgement went against the DR .The DR appealed and in this final judgement , Sunland received nothing but there is about $500,000 to be paid in architectural fees.
It is a complex case because there are only a few people who know whether the termination of the work was justified..the fact that another contractor had been lined up to continue the work suggests there may have been .
Like it or not ,there is no evidence that Bautista was involved in any scam here . The detailed contracts were entered into before he was a minister and the financing of the project that was organised by Sunland came from a Texas Bank .
The contract for the university buildings is an entirely different matter .
If I may also add ,variations to a contract and financing of a contract are very dangerous areas within a contract .Normally there are provisions within a contract dealing with suspension of work and the ways these can are arbitrated but variations sometimes come out of the blue and can be as much as the original contract .I have been reading about the alleged overrun in contracts performed by Oberdechtand as the subcontractors have now pointed out , much of this was due to variations that became necessary as the contract proceeded..maybe through unstable geological conditions, maybe through oppositions to a certain route or maybe because there was a perceived need to make a project larger for the future.
In relation to the financing of projects , this country is not a rich one and various finance has to be found with differing repayment plans .In the case of the Las Americas to the North Coast road ,the Government had to guarantee a minimum use of the road and the Coral Highway was financed largely by the construction company who now gets the tolls .
So, it is very easy to accuse people of theft and corruption but in fact there may be none . Notwithstanding this contracting always brings corruption in some form or another ..it is the nature of the beast around the world