Nelson Rosario, spokesman for the National Police, explained yesterday the motive behind the murder of 58-year old Rafael Orlando Batista, a community leader and businessman who went missing Wednesday, 25 July and was found dead on Sunday, 29 July.An accomplice in the murder, 24-year old Joan Fabian Santos, revealed that he participated in the murder of Batista to avoid being identified. Fabian was located after he was described by the secretary of Batista after he visited the later’s office to get RD$22,000. When the Police arrested Fabian, he had on the deceased’s Rolex watch. Fabian said that Batista was kidnapped by 28-year-old fugitive Elvin Jose Guillen Jorge. Batista had loaned RD$400,000 to Guillen allegedly for an operation for his mother. The money had been lent with the guarantee of a piece of land that later turned out to not exist. Batista, in an attempt to get his money back, took Guillen to court. Guillen Jorge kidnapped Batista in order to “tranquilize him,” as revealed by his accomplice Fabian Santos. The kidnappers requested the RD$2 million ransom on Saturday when Batista was in their custody. When the family requested evidence that he was alive, they did not hear from the men again.
