The District Attorney for the National District, Jose Manuel Hernandez Peguero is questioning the Government Accounting Office (Camara de Cuentas), and wants to see the auditing of the Supreme Court’s new building. The DA requested that the accounting office send it the audit carried out on the construction and equipping of the new Supreme Court of Justice offices. He told El Caribe reporters that he is also waiting for the 110 other audits that the office had announced were completed in October 2004.
Hernandez strongly questioned the attitude of the Accounting Office under Maximo Castillo who has resisted sending the other audits on the past administration and has concentrated on releasing findings of the recent remodeling of the Supreme Court of Justice under this administration.
As reported in Hoy newspaper, Hernandez said that the accounting office obstructs the struggle against corruption by only releasing information in small doses and at that convenience. Referring to the accounting office whose staff was appointed by the PRD majority Senate in a controversial election, Hernandez said: “It is an organization that is totally discredited. This country needs to strengthen its institutions and to do so needs to change those persons.”
Three days ago, the Accounting Office announced it was carrying out an audit of the construction and equipment of the new Supreme Court building. However, the most revealing information was that offered by landscaper and interior decorator Margarita Gomez, who handed over a detailed report of her work in furnishing the building. The report, given to all of the newspapers, shows how the government spent RD$106 million on the decoration and furnishings of the building.