DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 18 January 2017

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President-elect Jovenel Moise tours electricity plants
Environment Minister offers no compromises for Valle Nuevo
No let up in Odebrecht case
Guillermo Moreno demands resignation of attorney general
Another Odebrecht denial
Bernardo Vega: corruption was US$257M not US$92M
Payment to Odebrecht disappeared
Hipolito happy to be interviewed, as long as others are
Second lawsuit withdrawal in Blas Peralta case
Brits want to buy avocados
The Dominican Republic gets ready for Agroalimentaria 2017
Six Police officers and sergeant dismissed in Brayan Peter Félix case
Twins and Phillies training centers
It is getting colder
It’s Aguilas vs. Licey in the baseball playoffs



President-elect Jovenel Moise tours electricity plants
President-elect of Haiti, Jovenel Moise visited the construction site for the Punta Catalina 720-megawatt coal-fired plant yesterday. Moise was hosted by the executive vice president of the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE), Ruben Jiménez Bichara. He also toured the installations of the Monte Plata Solar plant, the largest of its kind in the Dominican Republic and the Central American and Caribbean region.

http://eldia.com.do/moise-recorre-punta-catalina/


Environment Minister offers no compromises for Valle Nuevo
Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito has said that the government-ordered de-occupation of land in Valle Nuevo, which the state has decided to protect, can no longer be delayed. The Minister said the extent of environmental degradation is so extensive that neither man nor nature could fully restore the area. He observed that that the damage to the environment in Valle Nuevo could not be corrected in 10 or 20 years, even by means of reforestation, due to the low temperatures of the area. Temperatures in Valle Nuevo frequently fall below freezing point.

He also repeated that the timetable for all inhabitants to leave the area would not be extended. A case is pending in the Superior Administrative Court to approve or deny a request by the landowners that they be given until 10 March 2017 to leave Valle Nuevo, rather than on 29 January deadline established by the Ministry.

Domínguez Brito emphasized that the natural resources of Valle Nuevo benefit 7 million Dominicans through services for agriculture, the generation of electricity and a great deal of the domestic water used throughout the country.

The minister acknowledged that there were people in Valle Nuevo who wanted the deadline for leaving extended, but he reiterated that timetable would not be modified. Dominguez Brito said that calls for the government to compensate landowners and farmers for leaving Valle Nuevo were not being considered.  He said the only thing on the government’s agenda in this case was the constitutional mandate that there should be no intensive or extensive agriculture in Valle Nuevo.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/01/...le-nuevo-ldquoahi-hay-danos-irreparablesrdquo


No let up in Odebrecht case
The Dominican government has warned that in regards to the Odebrecht administrative corruption case, “he who falls, falls.” Once again, PLD government spokesmen say they will apply the full force of the law to anyone found guilty of taking bribes. The government has not yet addressed the issue of overvaluations and the attention has focused on the taking of bribes.

Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ramón Peralta, defended the decision of the government to set up a commission to investigate the contractual process of the Punta Catalina coal-fired plant. He stressed the government would collaborate with all investigations in the corruption scandal and bring the guilty parties to justice.

The international construction company, Odebrecht has admitted to giving US$92 million in bribes to obtain US$163 million in contracted work in the Dominican Republic.  The announcement of the presidential commission coincides with the opening of investigations by Attorney General Jean-Alain Rodríguez into the bribery allegations.

So far, the Odebrecht general manager in the country, Marcelo Hofke, has been questioned and Odebrecht commercial representative Angel Rondón, the local business representative has admitted receiving the same amount of money as Odebrecht has admitted to having paid in bribes. Rondón nevertheless said these were his fees for securing the contract work for Odebrecht.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...ierno-advierte-no-protegera-culpables-poderes


Guillermo Moreno demands resignation of attorney general
Former presidential candidate for the Partido Alianza País, Guillermo Moreno called for the attorney general Jean Alain Rodríguez to resign from his post.

Moreno is a former National District attorney. He said that Rodríguez does not have the independence, nor the will needed to investigate the Odebrecht bribes.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...uillermo-moreno-exige-renuncia-del-procurador


Another Odebrecht denial
Attorney General Jean-Alain Rodríguez heard explanations related to the Odebrecht corruption case yesterday, 17 January 2017 from Manuel de Jesus Perez (Freddy), a former Minister for Public Works (2004-2007) during the years of the President Leonel Fernández government, and from Juan Roberto Rodríguez, the former director of the Santo Domingo Water Works (CAASD) in 1997, and of the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewage (INAPA) in 1998.

Called to a meeting at the Attorney General’s office, Perez said he was there at the request of Attorney General Jean-Alain Rodríguez, but had had nothing to do with the matter at hand. However, he accused the government, from 2000-2004, of having approved a contract with Odebrecht for an amount greater than that signed by Inapa and urged former director Juan Roberto Rodriguez to explain the matter.

He said the PLD administration under former President Leonel Fernández used the same contract that he had signed with Andrades and Gutierrez in 2001 or 2002 and the PRD, including the dissident groups now known as the PRM, used it ten or 12 years later, apparently without reviewing any of the contract language or revising the budget that he had originally signed.

Rodríguez denied having signed a contract with Odebrecht.

Meanwhile, El Dia reports that the time for taking Hipólito Mejía government officers to trial for corruption in the Odebrecht case has expired. Lawyer Laura Acosta told El Día that, nevertheless, the government officers could still be tried for consequences of the corruption, such as asset laundering.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...do-con-odebrecht-por-monto-superior-DD6014566
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...ice-no-firmo-contrato-con-odebrecht-BA6013425
http://eldia.com.do/el-caso-odebrecht-prescribio-para-funcionarios-de-hipolito/


Bernardo Vega: corruption was US$257M not US$92M
Former governor of the Central Bank and Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C., economist and historian Bernardo Vega writes about the Odebrecht corruption scandal in Acento and compares the Dominican government handling of the case with how other Latin American governments have acted.

He observes that, in general, the Medina administration has taken the matter lightly given the amounts involved and how other Latin American government have reacted.

“First it has to be pointed out that the robbery was not for US$92 million, but for US$257 million. The first figure is the money government officers and middlemen handled, but the overvaluations add another US$165 million. In both cases, billings for the jobs were inflated and the difference was paid by the Dominican state.

Next he points out that as other affected countries have done – Ecuador, Peru and Panama. In these countries, the Brazilian company has been placed on the list of companies that cannot participate in government procurement until they have repaid the state.

He also recommends that the two contracts Odebrecht is executing in the country be revised without delay – Punta Catalina coal-fired power plant and the Miches-Sabana de la Mar road. “In these two cases there is time to review if the public works were overvalued, and/or if there were payments for commissions and, if so, the government should refuse to pay these,” he writes.

He says the commission called to work by President Medina may show his good intentions, but the commission is going to need a technical team, including foreign firms to carry out a forensic audit.

He called for the government to do as Argentina has done, and ask the US Department of Justice to send the details on the payments. The same request should be placed to the government of Brazil. He observed that newly elected US representative, Adriano Espaillat, could request that US government offer the same support in the Dominican case.

He observed that the Attorney General’s office in Peru has already reached an out-of- court agreement with Odebrecht in which the company commits to turn over all pertinent information in the investigation and advance a payment for around US$9 million in advances against earnings that were irregularly obtained. He comments Dominican Attorney General’s Office is far from reaching a similar agreement.

Vega wonders: “Will the PLD allow Dominicans to find out who the corrupt officials were and assure that the stolen money is returned? The PLD acts as a business corporation (PLD, C. por A.) and it is common for illicit funds be distributed within the PLD apparatus, instead of going to middlemen. It is not a coincidence that in more than one occasion the treasurer of the PLD party has also been named Minister of Public Works and neither is it a coincidence that our government only investigates the cases that explode abroad, as there is no political will to call-out the others.”

He speculates that in the ruling party, given that the struggle for who will be the presidential candidate in 2020 has already begun, the government could focus on the works financed during the government of Leonel Fernández without reaching the in-depth levels that the investigations have reached in Peru, Panama and Ecuador. “I hope I’m wrong”, he concludes.

http://acento.com.do/2017/opinion/8419716-odebrecht/


Payment to Odebrecht disappeared
The former director of the National Drinking Water Institute (INAPA) Juan Roberto Rodríguez, who was in that position during the government of Hipólito Mejía has said that during his time in office Odebrecht built the aqueduct in the Northwest but there were no intermediaries.

Being interviewed at the Attorney General’s Office, he said that there was an international bidding process and Odebrecht won the contract.

Rodriguez said that they were convinced that they had made the best decision, with the winner being a consortium of Andrade and Gutierrez that managed the money and Odebrecht the technical side, to build the aqueduct.

He said the first contract for the work was signed in 1999, during the government of Leonel Fernández and he followed up on it when he arrived at INAPA. He explained that the work was worth US$161 million but only 80% was paid but he had no idea what happened to the final 20%. When asked if Angel Rondon had participated in the negotiation he remained silent.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...ato-con-odebrecht-para-acueducto-del-noroeste


Hipolito happy to be interviewed, as long as others are
On Tuesday, 17 January 2017, former President Hipólito Mejía said that if he was called for an interview in the case of the investigation into Odebrecht bribes and overvaluation, then Leonel Fernanadez and Danilo Medina should also be interviewed.

He said that the most important thing was that the investigations be completed and made public.  Mejia agreed that he would submit a detailed report of all of the public works carried out during his government.

Mejia spoke during a meeting with representatives of the National Confederation of Farmers (Confenagro) who are demanding that the Dominican government review the Free Trade Agreement between the Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States (DR-CAFTA).

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...-tambien-deberan-convocar-a-leonel-y-a-danilo


Second lawsuit withdrawal in Blas Peralta case
The chauffer of the murdered ex-rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) Mateo Aquino Febrillet, has now also withdrawn his lawsuit for attempted murder against the transport leader, Blas Peralta.

Joel Antonio Soriano Ramírez is the second of the victims to withdrawn their suits. The first was the former-candidate for deputy for the Revolutionary Modern Party (PRM), Eduar Montas, who was the one who started the argument in San Cristobal that ended in the death of Aquino Febrillet.

Soriano Ramírez said that due to his family situation, he did not want to continue with his lawsuit against Peralta, but gave no more details. He also withdrew his civil suit against others involved -- Rafael Herrera Pena, Gerardo Félix Bautista Mena and Franklin Alejandro Venega Rivas.

The wife of Aquino Febrillet, Rita Solís, called the withdrawal of the lawsuits treason.
National District prosecutor, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, nevertheless said her department would continue the case against Blas Peralta. “Blas Peralta killed a person and has to pay,” she said. The case has been affected by several technicalities that Reynoso says are to extend the process.

http://elnacional.com.do/chofer-de-febrillet-tambien-retira-querella-contra-blas-peralta/
http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...a-no-retirara-la-querella-contra-blas-peralta


Brits want to buy avocados
According to the Dominican ambassador in London, Federico Cuello, businessmen from the United Kingdom have announced they would like to buy the total avocado production of the country.

t a meeting with avocado farmers in Cambita Garabito, a rural community in San Cristobal, he said that avocados were in great demand by the British.

The meeting was arranged by the director of the National Sugar Institute, (INAZUCAR), Antonio Lopez, who travelled to London and made contacts to sell Dominican products there.

The farmers in Cambita will began the process to capture the British market during a meeting with Ambassador Cuello; the director INAZUCAR, and the co-founder of the Dominican Chamber of Commerce in London, Rolfi Chevalier.

http://almomento.net/reino-unido-comprara-cosecha-de-aguacate-producida-en-rd/281106


The Dominican Republic gets ready for Agroalimentaria 2017
Agroalimentaria 2017 will take place at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel in Santo Domingo from 18-20 May 2017.

The biennial trade show is organized by the Dominican Agricultural Business Board (JAD), the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), and other private and public organizations related to the Dominican export sector.

Participants are pre-matched with exporters and importers from all over the world, so they can present their products, and build fruitful relationships through a series of business meetings.

Claudia Chez, the director of markets at the JAD, explained that the program will be similar to that of previous editions. In addition, this year the conference will address the regulations that have been approved this year in the US through the Modernization of the Food Security Act and the requirements that exporters must take into account to continue selling their products to that market. Speakers from the FDA will explain the situation to the attendees. There will also be talks on ecological packaging, cold chain issues, the latest technological trends in the food industry, and many other topics." 

This year, there will be gastronomic activities added to the program. The idea is that the visitors can taste the flavors of traditional Dominican products in dishes prepared by renowned chefs, Chez said.

Since its first edition, the number of attendees to Agroalimentaria has risen steadily. More than 220 international buyers are expected and there will be more than 3,000 business meetings set up. 93% of the attendees to the 2015 fair said the event had helped them position their business internationally, learn about new products and trends in the sector, expand their knowledge of the rules and requirements of international markets, and find business partners and suppliers.

Agroalimentaria has established itself as the best forum for dialogue, information exchange, and the display of trends, because all of its seminars, conferences, and workshops are led by experts who have a great deal of experience in the sector.

More information: http://www.agroalimentaria.com.do


Six Police officers and sergeant dismissed in Brayan Peter Félix case
The Police have dismissed five officers and a sergeant accused of accepting a RD$25,000 bribe from Brayan Peter Felix Paulino, who was arrested in San Cristobal on 12 December 2016 but allowed to go free.

Those dismissed are Carlos Lachapelle Asencio and Ricardo Andújar Jaspe, First Lieutenant Severo Javier Turbí; Second Lieutenants Miguel Corporán Tiburcio and Santo Martínez de los Santos and Sergeant Juan Carlos Jiménez.

The report stated that Félix Paulino and his accomplice, Frankeli Pilar Rosario, were arrested in a black jeep that sped away from the scene. According to Reybin David Corporan Adames (Culebra or Mecanico), an occupant of the vehicle that fled was John Emilio Percival Matos, who was later killed by the police. It was thought the men were planning another robbery.

According to the investigation, a patrol comprised of Privates Isaac Corporan Florencio and Luis Gabriel Cleto Manon, were alerted by the owner of a boutique about the presence of suspicious characters. The officers arrived at the scene and arrested a man, Felix Paulino, who identified himself as Víctor Alfonso Mendez.

http://elnacional.com.do/cancelan-5-oficiales-aceptaron-soborno-para-liberar-brayan/


Twins and Phillies training centers
The Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins shared baseball academy is now open in Jubey, Boca Chica, a 30-minute drive east from Santo Domingo. This is the first time two Major League Baseball teams have agreed to share a state-of-the-art academy.

The sports facilities total around 85,000 square feet and were built on 290 tareas (45 acres, 1 tarea=629 square meters) campus. The teams invested US$18 million in the construction and fitting of the academy.

Attending the opening was Sports Minister Danilo Díaz, Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, president of the Caribbean Baseball Federation; Orlando Díaz, president of the Dominican Summer League, Rafael Pérez, director of operations for Major League Baseball in the Dominican Republic and officials of both teams.

Dave St. Peter, president and executive director of the Twins, said the team is proud of the association with the Phillies to develop the modern training center. Andy MacPhail, president of the Phillies, also offered praise for the achievement. He spoke of the excitement of both teams to have the new baseball complex. Previously, the Phillies had leased four different academies in the Dominican Republic.

The complex will operate as two separate academies, but some operation costs will be shared. Each team owns its own separate baseball and training facility — fields, batting cages, weight rooms and medical areas, etc. — and employ their own coaching/training staffs. The teams will share kitchen, dining, auditorium and field maintenance facilities and costs. Each team will have its own dormitory.

Lee McDaniel, the Phillies' director of minor league operations, said:  “A couple of years ago we made the decision that we wanted to buy land and build and own our own facility. We were on the same timeline with the Twins.

They had similar concepts and philosophies with what we wanted to do. It’s been a tremendous partnership.”

The players at the academy are essentially entry-level professionals, as young as 16 years old. They play academy-based teams from other Major League organizations in the Dominican Summer League. If the prospects progress, they can earn their way to a minor-league team based in the U.S. and maybe someday to the majors.


It is getting colder

You will need a jacket, sweater or shawl for any activities planned for this week. The weather service says that starting on Wednesday, 18 January 2017, temperatures will get even cooler. Forecasts are for lows of 15 degrees Celsius in Santiago, 18C in Santo Domingo, and even lower in mountain areas, where freezing temperatures have already been recorded. Polar winds are blowing in from the north and a stationary front is parked over Puerto Rico.

In the next 48 hours, humidity will decline with shiny blue skies during the day and few rain showers.

Onamet has forecast light rain for Espaillat (Moca), Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís), Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), Santiago, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel (Bonao), Samaná, María Trinidad Sanchez (Cabrera), Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, El Seibo and La Altagracia (Punta Cana).

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...nostican-pocas-lluvias-y-temperaturas-frescas

http://www.onamet.gov.do/?param=pronostico-general


It’s Aguilas vs. Licey in the baseball playoffs
Last night’s games decided which team will match the Aguilas Cibaeñas in the finals of the Dominican Professional Winter Baseball Championship. The Tigres del Licey and the Gigantes del Cibao were tied. So when the Licey defeated the Escogido 3-1, and the Aguilas defeated the Gigantes 4-3, the Licey won the right to match the Aguilas in the playoffs.

The nine-game playoffs start on Thursday, 19 January 2017 at 8pm at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago. The series continues through Saturday, 28 January.

The schedule for the Tigres del Licey vs. Aguilas del Cibao finals is:
Thursday, 19 January at 8pm in the Cibao Stadium in Santiago.
Friday, 20 January at 7:30pm in the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo.
Saturday, 21 January at 5pm in the Cibao Stadium in Santiago.
Sunday, 22 January at 4pm in the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo.
Tuesday, 24 January at 8pm in the Cibao Stadium in Santiago.
Wednesday, 25 January at 7:30pm in the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo.
Thursday, 26 January at 8pm in the Cibao Stadium in Santiago.
Friday, 27 January at 7:30pm in the Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo.
Saturday, 28 January at 8pm in the Cibao Stadium in Santiago.

Read more on ongoing and upcoming events at:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


Archived News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/91-Daily-Headline-News


Archived Travel News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/92-Travel-amp-Tourism-News
 
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