The Supreme Court of Justice will have the last word. But Attorney General Victor Manuel Cespedes Martinez says he favors the maintaining of the correctional grading of the Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico case for a RD$40 million credit card fraud. Baninter issued the card in the name of Goico to cover expenses of President Hipolito Mejia on his travels abroad. Cespedes predecessor, Virgilio Bello Rosa resigned the post of attorney general after taking the stand that the case should be heard by a criminal court. If the case were graded criminal, bail could not be considered. Goico?s lawyers have petitioned for him to be able to post bail and be released from his privileged detention at the Ministry of Armed Forces quarters.
Goico is already free on bail from a case against him for a previous fraud to the government. President Hipolito Mejia gave Army Mayor Pedro Julio Goico a second chance in 2000 when he made him his chief of security. Goico had been indicted for a RD$90-million fraud case in 1997 involving the National Lottery. If granted bail, it could be a first for Dominican justice of a person being free twice on bail.