Dozens of community groups joined together at the San Carlos Clubhouse to protest official corruption and demand an investigation of the judges that sit on the Supreme Court. Along with community leaders, academics, business leaders and the head of the US Agency for International Development program in the DR, pointed out the inefficient and slow-moving justice system does little to curb corruption. The “in-your-face” attitude of the speakers threw a wide loop that included the different political parties and even the office of the President.
Generally speaking, a lack of courage by the different judges and prosecutors who are bombarded with bribes from defense attorneys who terrorize courtrooms, the rampant governmental corruption and the inefficient prosecution of those who steal public assets were the main themes of the debates.
Under the umbrella of the Coalition for Transparent and Institutional Government and the Citizen’s Forum, the different speakers lambasted the justice system for its rigidity and slow moving pace.
The head of FINJUS, the Foundation for Institutionalism and Justice, Fabiola Medina, called the operation of the justice department “an immune system for corruption.” As one of the six speakers at the forum, Medina based her talk on recent research and surveys. She judged the outlook as “chilling”, and urged an intensified recruitment, training, evaluation and, if necessary, punishment of prosecutors and judges, including those of the Supreme Court.
Prominent Santiago lawyer, Ramon Antonio Veras went so far as to call the members of the three branches of government “thieves” in a rabble-rousing talk that called the Congress “the most dirty part of the Government.”
While not participating in the activity, Elena Brineman, the head of the USAID efforts in the Dominican Republic, urged the Dominican people to push for a halt to the impunity given so many officials. In her words, “The corruption will not stop until a large group of Dominicans say “enough, that’s sufficient, stop it!”