1996News

Who wouldn’t let the ex-District Attorney back into the country?

The mystery in the news media last week was which government department ordered the denial of entrance permission for the former Attorney General of the National District, who wanted to return to the D.R. after living for several years in Miami, Florida. Josefina Juan de Pichardo, who on more than one occasion has said from Miami that she has proof of involvement of high-ranking government officials in international drug trafficking, is herself facing several charges connected with corruption here in the D.R. No government agency has claimed responsibility for the order prohibiting her entrance to the D.R., resulting in American Airlines not allowing her to board an aircraft destined for Santo Domingo. The 30 May edition of the Listin Diario published a copy of the document sent by the Immigration department asking American Airlines to deny Mrs. Juan de Pichardo access to the flight. Leaders of the Dominican Human Rights Committee, together with the Prosecutor of the Santo Domingo Court of Appeals Ramon Piña Acevedo, as well as spokesmen from almost all important sectors of the D.R., have expressed their surprise and disapproval of the order, alleging she is a Dominican citizen and has yet to be convicted on any of the charges against her.