New revelations have come out in the news media about the son of Argentinean Ambassador, Teresa Meccia de Palma, and his relationship with Mario Jose Redondo Llenas who, together with Juan Manuel Moline Rodriguez, is accused of killing the young boy Jose Rafael Llenas Aybar. Martin Luis Palma Meccia, who left the Dominican Republic on 2 May and whose whereabouts have not been revealed by his parents, has been accused by the ex-Attorney General for the National District, Dr. Zoila Martinez de Medina, of masterminding the kidnapping of the daughter of the owner of a printing press in Santo Domingo, just weeks before the murder of Jose Rafael.
Efforts have been made by the Foreign Ministry to have Mr. Palma Meccia sent back to the country for questioning, but it would seem unlikely that he could be forced to appear in Santo Domingo due to the diplomatic immunity that he and his family enjoy. Ambassador Meccia de Palma met with President Joaquín Balaguer on 28 May for just over 30 minutes at the National Palace.
Also present at the meeting was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caonabo Javier Castillo. Although no details of the discussion between the three were released, the obvious conclusion was that the case of Ambassador Meccia de Palma’s son was the main topic of conversation. Both Mrs Meccia de Palma and her husband, Luis Palma, have kept strict silence on the whereabouts of their son and his relationship with Mr. Redondo Llenas.
On the 31 May, the newspaper Listin Diario contained an article which details some of the history of Martin Luis Meccia Palma in the D.R. It describes Martin Luis Meccia Palma as “sociable, a good student and renowned for his skill on the football field.” He was a student of dentistry at the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). His grades were so good, according to UNIBE’s vice-rector Gustavo Batista, that he would have graduated Magna Cum Laude upon maintaining his current average. He was also described as volatile, however, in the description of a dispute with Luis Carbuccia Jose, with whom Mr. Meccia Palma fought last February. The conflict escalated into a family affair, involving Mr. Meccia Palma’s father Luis Palma, resulting in threats and even some violence against Mr. Carbuccia Jose. There are files, according to the article in the Listin, of the Carbuccia-Meccia Palma conflict in the Foreign Ministries both in the D.R. and Argentina, as well as with the National Police.