Listin Diario columnist Orlando Gil says that despite their efforts, journalists have not been able access the list of police officers who benefited from the use of recovered stolen vehicles that were not returned to their owners. Gil says that while the reason for the reluctance to publicize this list of names is not known, it suggests the presence of a cover-up and renders the institution guilty as a whole. “The National Police, as an institution, should not be responsible for the personal actions of unscrupulous officers,” he writes. “But until the names are given, public opinion will continue to hold the entire force accountable,” he writes.
His commentary includes the account of a young TV host whose Mercedes Benz was confiscated from her possession. The woman believed the car to be rightfully hers as it was a gift from a friend. This friend, however, turns out to be a former high- former Armed Forces official and the ownership of the car has been thrown into question. Gil says this is surely not the only case of third-party beneficiaries of the illicit vehicles.