The judge in charge of the investigation into the 1994 disappearance (and presumed murder) of Professor Narciso Gonz?lez ("Narcisazo") yesterday asked the Attorney-General to block two former top Balaguer officials from leaving the country. Judge Eduardo S?nchez Ort?z asked that former National Police (PN) chief General Rafael Guerrero Peralta and former National Department of Investigations (DNI) head Francisco N??ez Jim?nez be prevented from leaving the country until the judge can question them in the case. He also asked that a Major Cubilete (the rest of his name was not available at press time) be blocked from traveling abroad until he can be questioned. These requests bring to 22 the number of people for which Judge S?nchez Ort?z has blocked travel privileges while his investigation proceeds. Judge S?nchez Ort?z also has imprisoned former Armed Forces Minister Constantino Matos Villanueva, Air Force General Rafael Reyes Bencosme and his former aide, Lt. Colonel Manuel C. P?rez V?lquez, on suspicion of complicity in kidnapping Narcisazo. Today another judge, from the Third Penal Chamber, will consider a habeas corpus petition from Reyes Bencosme’s lawyers to have him released.Narcisazo, a vocal critic of then-President Joaqu?n Balaguer, was rumored to have been picked up by agents of Air Force’s (FAD) A-2 Intelligence group just before his disappearance, so the investigation initially focused on FAD officials past and present. Recently it has branched out to other sectors of the Dominican security establishment.
