Corruption!

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Beanie11

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Aug 30, 2007
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I just need to let people know what can happen to you here in Sosua, DR.
I was walking alone on the street at 10pm, and a "cop" stopped me and demanded that I pay him 5000 pesos. He was on a moto concho, with no uniform or anything. He just had a card in his wallet that said he was Policia. When I refused, he took me to jail in Sosua. I was told I could go at 8am the next day. Instead I was taken to jail in Puerto Plata. Magically, there was a lawyer there waiting for me. He told me he could help me get out. Because I did not pay the "cop", I was accused of having drugs on me. I DID NOT!!!! The lawyers told me if I paid them $6000US, then I could go home, or else I was going to prison for my "crime". The lawyers tried for hours to get my wife to pay them, but we don't have that kind of money. I ended up spending 3 days and nights in jail, then 2 days and nights in prison. I was not fingerprinted or photographed, they did not ask for ID, I was brought in the prison through the back door...everyone was in on the scam. From the Lawyers, and the cops, and the judge, and the prosocutor, and the guards.....everyone! My wife had to pay a fine of $500 to the court, and had to pay the lawyers $2000 to get me out. Once she paid the lawyers the money outside the prison, the lawyer yelled out the window of his car, accross the street to the guard at the prison to "let the gringo go now". An hour later, I was out. In jail, I was beaten, starved, denied water, thrown **** at, faught with, denied phone calls...you name it.
One of the cops knew what had happened to me, that these charges were totally false, and he told me that "This IS the economy in the DR....this is how we make money."
I watched these corrupt lawyers divy up my money to the judge, guards, other lawyers. They were all laughing about it.
I couldn't believe that this could happen to a Canadian here on vacation. It was a nightmare that just got worse and worse everyday.
These lawyers names are ******** and ********. These 2 were the worst of the bunch. I can't believe that these people call themselves professionals.
Does anyone out there know if there is any way to report these god aweful people to the authorities? From my experience, any authority figure is just as corrupt as these lawyers are! Do I have any recourse at all??


Names removed but retained.

Gregg
Mod.
 
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gambler1234

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Jun 7, 2007
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I just need to let people know what can happen to you here in Sosua, DR.

First, let me say OMG what happened is terrible. I have a few questions for you though...how old are you? What time were you out on the street when this happened and were you anywhere near where people might sell or do drugs? From what I understand there is guilt by association there. Even if you were talking to someone who was trying to sell you drugs you would be "accused" of having drugs. I know that the locals also pay the police, as it's common practise. I hadn't heard of the lawyers getting involved however. I guess you could report this to the Canadian Consulate who would then report it to the Dominican Republic Government. The Dominican Republic's economy would sink if it weren't for all the tourist dollars that come in, and it won't look good if "innocent" tourists are being picked up and extorted.
 

Beanie11

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Aug 30, 2007
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to answer your questions.....
I am 38 years old. I was out on the street at 10pm to smoke a cigar (my wife won't let me smoke them in the house). I was on Pedro clisante, sitting on a plastic chair at a closed open air restaurant, smoking my cigar by myself. Nobody else was near me. I do not do drugs, and certainly wouldn't be assosiating with anyone who was trying to sell drugs. Back home in Canada, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and a mechanic by trade. The "cop" told me that "if I say you have drugs, then you have drugs. The court will believe me over you." The cop reached into his own pocket and took out a bag of white powder (presumably cocaine, but who knows, it could have been talcum power), and said "this is yours"! I couldn't believe it!
After the I was put in jail, the lawyers held my wife captive in thier car for over 2 hours trying to shake her down for more money. They would not let her out of the car. Eventually, they let her out, and she had to take a publico taxi back to Sosua at 1:30am by herself.
This whole situation was all about getting as much money from the Gringos as possible. Those 2 lawyers thought it was funny. They told my wife that if she couldn't get the cash on her bank card, then they would take her to a store where they know the owner and he will put the $6000 on her visa as a purchase and then give the cash to the lawyers, or they would accept $5500, and her computer. What kind of people are these??? How can this happen? I understand that Dominicans are poor people in general, but they rely on tourist money, and it was come to a screeching halt if word gets out that this can happen to any guy on the street by himself. The only reason I was chosen by the "cop" is because I am white, therefore I have money, and I was alone, therfore there were no witnesses.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Get in touch with the Canadien Consulate ASAP with all the names and info you have. I think that they won't take this likely and I would expect some heads to roll, hopefully the a$$hole lawyers will be disbarred. you also might want to contact some of the major Domincan newspapers to report what happened.

I apologize that this happened to you. It is a product IMO of the police being among the lowest paid goverment employees here which basically causes probably 95% of all police to have received bribes, just to be able to eat and take care of their family. The politicians on the other hand typically make 60 to 100 times more than a typical polceman, disgusting to say the least. this is no excust just an explanation for the diseased dynamic we have here.

Take care
 

Beanie11

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Aug 30, 2007
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We are still here.....I just got out of prison yesterday at 2pm, and other than this situation, we really like it here. We still want to see what we can do about this so it doesn't happen to other people. We were lucky in that my wife was able to get me out, what about the people who can't pay that much? Somebody has to stand up to this!
I will contact Tim Hall, and see what he can do about this. I have not heard of the Transparency International. I will contact them as well. These lawyers and the rest like them need to be stopped.
 

Beanie11

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Aug 30, 2007
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Thanks to everyone who has replied to my situation. I really appreciate the advice.
I've told my story here, exactly as it happened. If I was really guilty, I would have been fingerprinted, photographed, passport taken away and I would still be in prison. I got to leave because I didn't do anything wrong, and everyone involved knew it. All I had to do was pay up.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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We are still here.....I just got out of prison yesterday at 2pm, and other than this situation, we really like it here. We still want to see what we can do about this so it doesn't happen to other people. We were lucky in that my wife was able to get me out, what about the people who can't pay that much? Somebody has to stand up to this!
I will contact Tim Hall, and see what he can do about this. I have not heard of the Transparency International. I will contact them as well. These lawyers and the rest like them need to be stopped.

I like your attitude. One word of advice - be discreet until you get out of the country at least. We don't want of these losers involved to think they need to do anything else more serious to you for the time being.

Get the contact info and maybe hold off until the very end of you're stay here(the same day or day before you leave) to contact any Dominican officials if so advised. IMO don't let anybody know where you are staying either. the best would be to wait until you get back to Canada to make the calls. Phone cards can be found at real cheap prices and maybe a local expat here could get you any forms you might need.

Best of luck
 

planner

.............. ?
Sep 23, 2002
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Good advice from Chip!!!! YOu can get yourself into more trouble by some of what you are posting.

Can we get the moderator to consider removing the names from the thread to protect the OP? Here you can go to jail for just accusing...........

I am so very sorry to hear of everything that has happened!
 

Ladybird

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Dec 15, 2003
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So sorry for you

I am sorry you had this nightmare my best regards to you and your wife. This DOES happen on a regular basis, I have helped 2 people that were wrongly detained. But your story reminded me of another incident similar to yours that happened to my son some years ago in Sosua. 2 cops searched him and planted 2 pkts of cocaine in his pocket and took him to jail in Sosua. Friends came to tell me and off I went. I learnt soon after I arrived here that contacts are the way to survive. I had the right ones, thank goodness and went and had him released without any money changing hands. You know a mothers love and protection - that wasnt enough for me so I pushed more with my contacts and the 2 riff raff were fired.

Another regular scam here is some putas accuse their clients of raping them, when he is taken to jail, she arrives with her lawyer, he also gets a lawyer, the last false accusation cost the guy $2000 and the police, lawyers, puta split it between them in front of the guy, then he was released. The guy was lovely and he lived here for years, but he was so disgusted he left the DR.
I hope you and your wife recover and you get your justice.

Dont be put off there are good cops here, I was robbed once and it took the cops 20 mins to get my handbag back, as my description was enough to find then and where they were. I had the pleasure of being allowed to listen to their "interrogation".

Again I am truly sorry you had to go through this.
 

robbie

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Aug 3, 2006
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Do you think that if he wouldhave paid the cop in the beginning what he wanted , the situation would have ended there?
I understand about knowing the right people and having contacts, but this is needed to to survive in the DR????
I'd like to hear some other opinions.
you can send me a pm if you prefer.
 
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Ladybird

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Dec 15, 2003
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Do you think that if he wouldhave paid the cop in the beginning what he wanted , the situation would have ended there?
I understand about knowing the right people and having contacts, but this is needed to to survive in the DR????
I'd like to hear some other opinions.
you can send me a pm if you prefer.

Robbie if I hadnt known those people my son would have ended up in the same situation as this poor man. I learnt from people who have lived here for many years. Do you actually live here??? If you did you wouldnt have needed to ask the question. It best to have some sort of security.
 

robbie

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Aug 3, 2006
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We will be moving to the DR. We bought a condo and will be buying a villa a s well. For now we are going to be visiting often, probably every 3 months.
I understand.
 

robbie

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Aug 3, 2006
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Probably the east coast, Punta Cana, but thats not set in stone, its a plan that need to be explored for sure. As long as we are within walking distance to a beach !!! :cheeky:
Wer'e hoping to start with spending winters in the DR to get a feel for it first, then check out Sosua/Cabarete/puerto Plata as well.
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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Probably the east coast, Punta Cana, but thats not set in stone, its a plan that need to be explored for sure. As long as we are within walking distance to a beach !!! :cheeky:
Wer'e hoping to start with spending winters in the DR to get a feel for it first, then check out Sosua/Cabarete/puerto Plata as well.

A beach isn't everything, after a while it can get boring.... make sure you have more in the long term.
 
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