2003News

Baez Figueroa in custody

Ram?n B?ez Figueroa and two other Baninter executives have spent their first night in jail. This follows Tuesday night’s revelations of the unprecedented scale of alleged fraud within the collapsed bank. B?ez Figueroa, along with the bank’s vice presidents, Vivian Lubrano de Castillo and Marcos B?ez Cocco, are being held in cells at the Palace of Justice in Santo Domingo. Quoted in Hoy newspaper, B?ez Figueroa affirmed his faith in the justice system while he was being led to the cells yesterday evening. Diario Libre reports that electricians and other laborers worked non-stop in order to install such amenities as air conditioners and washbasins for the detained bankers. The three, who were taken to the cells amidst heavy security and interrogated for the better part of the day, are accused of defrauding clients to the tune of as much as RD$55 billion.