As far as Mario is concerned I'm confident he can defend himself and doesn't need me to do it. He hasn't been anything more than accused of something at this point. We all know obtaining an arrest warrant is about as hard as walking across the street...given the nature of the Dominican justice system noted previously by yourself.
The OP asked a question and I answered as best I knew at the time. Others have chimed with with additional information. That is what a forum board is for; to discuss issues in an attempt to bring facts to the forefront so people can make informed decisions. (I was wrong in my original answer and I admitted the inaccuracy.)
If the OP was asking the question not as a method to obtain information but rather as a method to disperse information, so be it. I didn't know, frankly don't care and as I was only trying to help (apparently unwittingly). I was needling about "newbies" because, well, we all needle newbies here when it seems opportunistic! :devious: And it does seem to me that the thread was started more to dispense information vs receive it (personal opinion).
However, in full disclosure for those who care and keep track of such things: Yes, Mario was and is still a friend of mine. I owned a condo at Velero for a few years, bought when Georges Coutu was just erecting them, and found Mario to be genuinely honest and financially transparent in his dealings with me (an oddity in this country). After his falling out with Velero I retained him to work for a company I controlled as a property manager in Cabarete. Although his performance wasn't what I had expected, possibly due to the horrors of living at Velero whilst everyone there seemed hell-bent on jailing him, he did a decent enough job overall and left of his own accord to return to Canada. He is also a very good guitar player but really doesn't sing all that well, if that also matters. :laugh:
Did he steal from Velero? I don't believe so but I am not in a position to prove it one way or the other. Those who are in that position will need to do so (one way or the other). However it falls, Mario has always been a standup guy with me and even if he were to end up in a Dominican jail I'd still bring him food and drinks...because that's what friends do.
But I suspect this court case will unwind slowly into the abyss that is the Dominican legal system for some time to come.
What I do find humorous about the situation is for people to take to forums such as this to discuss legal cases as if they were a fait accompli while the court case has not yet been heard or adjudicated. Actually it's more sad than humorous but I tend to laugh at silly things.
Personally, I'd rather be discussing more interesting pursuits such as the proper method for sock rolling in these humid climes!