Operation Squid: Legislators with betting shops say they were victims of extortion

[Dolores]

Sergio Moya “Goris” / Diario Libre

Many Dominican legislators are owners of sports betting businesses. Now legislators mentioned in the Operation Squid file that are related to betting shop companies say they were victims of extortion. Operation Squid is about a mega state fraud in which one of the leading scams is related to extortion of irregularly-operated betting shops nationwide.

The Operation Squid file reveals that Ramón – Mimilo – Jimenez, Fernando Crisostomo, Jose Arturo Ureña and Jose Pablo Ortiz Giraldo set up a structure for extortion of betting shops (lottery and sports shops) in coordination with former Minister of Hacienda Donald Guerrero. The whistleblowers in the case say that ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) deputy, Sergio Moya (Goris) served as one of the leading coordinators of the extortion scheme against the lottery banks. Diario Libre...

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[Lucifer]

Sergio Moya has double protection from charges: He's a member of the chamber of deputies AND... (drum roll, please)

...he's married to one of Hipólito's daughters.

Isn't the PGR supposed to be independent?

 

[CristoRey]

Sergio Moya has double protection from charges: He's a member of the chamber of deputies AND... (drum roll, please)

...he's married to one of Hipólito's daughters.

Isn't the PGR supposed to be independent?

I said it in another thread regarding this case recently. From what I've heard, these guys are part of the untouchables who really pull the strings down here and I think Team Luis is taking a huge gamble on this one.

 

[Lucifer]

I said it in another thread regarding this case recently. From what I've heard, these guys are part of the untouchables who really pull the strings down here and I think Team Luis is taking a huge gamble on this one.

Somehow, the PLD folks feared losing the 2020 elections and, as a consequence of their corruption, they also feared what was about to happen: Charges of corruption brought against them.

So, they tried every conceivable way of syphoning money to aid the campaign, including the country's coffers by way of Hacienda and land expropriations payments which were destined to the rightful landowners but which ended up aiding Gonzalo's internal as well as presidential PLD campaign, and a percentage of that money lining the pockets of these big shots. The bancas were also ripped off, as well as the colmados having money machines.

 

[JD Jones]

So far 10 of the accused have plead guilty.

Ten defendants admit guilt in Calamar scheme

<p>The head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Pepca), Wilson Camacho, informed last night that ten of the 20 accused in the Calamar case admitted guilt in the illicit acts attributed to them by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. They are Angel Lockward, Santiago Moquete Sosa Ortiz...

dominicantoday.com

 

[Lucifer]

So far 10 of the accused have plead guilty.

Ten defendants admit guilt in Calamar scheme

<p>The head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Pepca), Wilson Camacho, informed last night that ten of the 20 accused in the Calamar case admitted guilt in the illicit acts attributed to them by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. They are Angel Lockward, Santiago Moquete Sosa Ortiz...

dominicantoday.com

However, the naïveté of the Dominican man knows no bounds: "They're giving back what they stole."

Really? ¿En serio?

Even in the extremely remote possibility that they can accurately know the exact amount stolen during an 8- or a 4-year span, AND said amount is returned after a 2-year investigation, that means nothing, for those big shots know where and how to launder it, "invest it", and recoup it.

"Here's the RD$500 million I stole. Now I'm jet-setting to Monaco for a 4-week vacation, then on to Vail for a week, the obligatory stop at Hermes in Rodeo Drive, then relax and party at my Upper East Side apartment in Gotham. See you in Casa de Campo in late December."

 

[JD Jones]

Billions are not chump change but I understand exactly what you are saying.

 

[CristoRey]

These 10 crooks have admitted to committing massive frauds in the amount of millions of usd and they are now being placed on house arrest while agreeing to return the money?

If this is how Team Luis plans on deterring others from committing acts of government corruption, they are clearly heading in the wrong direction.

 

[JD Jones]

These 10 crooks have admitted to committing massive frauds in the amount of millions of usd and they are now being placed on house arrest while agreeing to return the money?

If this is how Team Luis plans on deterring others from committing acts of government corruption, they are clearly heading in the wrong direction.

House arrest until their trial, and their cooperation will result in a reduced sentence (if they're convicted) Isn't it like that in just about any country?

 

[Lucifer]

House arrest until their trial, and their cooperation will result in a reduced sentence (if they're convicted) Isn't it like that in just about any country?

That may be the case, but unlike Helen Keller and Ray Charles, the Dominican justice system is not totally blind; at times, it enjoys peripheral vision.

CONSIDER:

In 2017, the PGR, under Jean Alain Rodríguez, ordered the arrest of 14 individuals, some of whom were legislators and former ministers. The charge: accepting bribes, money laundering, and other crimes.

After all was said and done, charges were dropped on twelve of the accuse, and only two men were found guilty: Víctor Díaz Rúa, former Public Works and Communications minister (accused of illicit gain); and businessman Ángel Rondón, charged with bribery and money laundering. Supposedly, Rondón distributed US$92 million amongst legislators, ministers, and others, in order to facilitate Odebretch's bid for the construction of the power plant, Punta Catalina.

However, in the Rondón case, there's NO ONE guilty of accepting bribes.

Most likely, NO ONE will see serious prison time during the latest charges of corruption, either.

 

[JD Jones]

That may be the case, but unlike Helen Keller and Ray Charles, the Dominican justice system is not totally blind; at times, it enjoys peripheral vision.

CONSIDER:

In 2017, the PGR, under Jean Alain Rodríguez, ordered the arrest of 14 individuals, some of whom were legislators and former ministers. The charge: accepting bribes, money laundering, and other crimes.

After all was said and done, charges were dropped on twelve of the accuse, and only two men were found guilty: Víctor Díaz Rúa, former Public Works and Communications minister (accused of illicit gain); and businessman Ángel Rondón, charged with bribery and money laundering. Supposedly, Rondón distributed US$92 million amongst legislators, ministers, and others, in order to facilitate Odebretch's bid for the construction of the power plant, Punta Catalina.

However, in the Rondón case, there's NO ONE guilty of accepting bribes.

Most likely, NO ONE will see serious prison time during the latest charges of corruption, either.

We all know how "dedicated" Janalan was to his position. In retrospect I can guess why things went the way they did in that case.

I don't remember any funds being recuperated in that case either.

I'm hoping Miriam and crew are much more successful. They have already proven they can get funds returned.

 

[Lucifer]

We all know how "dedicated" Janalan was to his position. In retrospect I can guess why things went the way they did in that case.

I don't remember any funds being recuperated in that case either.

I'm hoping Miriam and crew are much more successful. They have already proven they can get funds returned

Some folks are of the opinion that the then-minister, "Yanalán", purposely structured the charges in such a manner that they would be easily dismissed against the majority of the folks arrested.

As if saying, "Hey, we gotta charge you and arrest you, but fear not: it ain't gonna fly."