Colonel Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico, former security chief of President Hip?lito Mej?a, was appointed deputy commander of the Sixth Brigade of the Army, based in San Pedro de Macoris as reported in the List?n Diario. When originally appointed to the key security position in the Mej?a administration, Goico was free on bail after being indicted for fraud in a RD$90-million scandal involving the National Lottery in 1997.
The new appointment to the San Pedro post establishes Goico as the second-in-command for the army in the southeast and follows his deliverance from criminal charges for personal use of a Baninter credit card supposedly for expenditures of President Mej?a on his trips abroad. Baninter did not pursue Goico in a court of law to recover their losses, despite admitting that Goico had made illicit charges of RD$40 million on the credit card. The case received much press attention and spurred references such as ?Pepecard – the card everyone wants to have? and ?Pepegate?. There were also allegations of the questionable employ of airplanes and a helicopter professedly for the presidential advance team.
The scandal affected the reputation of Baninter, as well as projecting an image of the Mej?a administration as a government unwilling to fight corruption in office.
The US Consulate released to the press an order canceling Goico?s entry visa and banning the military from visiting the US.
El Caribe reports that Goico had been seen receiving Princess Elena, the daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, and participating in security maneuvers regarding former US President Bill Clinton.