El Caribe newspaper reported on Friday on the free hand exercised in choosing the decoration and furnishings for the new Supreme Court of Justice and Attorney General offices, shortly after President Leonel Fernandez had called for austerity in government spending in his inaugural speech.
Imported curtains were among the expensive items chosen by the decorating firm, Margarita Gomez, Muebles e Interiores. Taxpayers have had to foot the bill for RD$18 million in curtains alone. El Caribe reports that the curtains for the Supreme Court of Justice president’s office and attorney general office cost RD$1.3 million each, according to a report presented by decorating firm. The curtains in the conference room of the Supreme Court cost RD$825,734. And curtains in the adjunct prosecutor offices were RD$754,481 each. Other judges’ offices were cheaper, with curtains ranging from RD$161,355 to RD$848,865.
El Caribe points out that two Maitland-Smith brand mahogany desks ordered for the Attorney General’s offices cost RD$239,790 each. The dozens of Hancock & Moore chairs in leather and secretarial chairs cost between RD$67,000 and RD$100,875 each. Rather than buying locally, the government instead chose to import 55 leather Whittemore Sherrill sofas at a cost of RD$165,965 each.
The government spent RD$307m in furnishings through the Bohenco and Margarita Gomez decorating companies.
Margarita Ruiz Gomez, interviewed on Monday’s Matinal 5 Channel 5 morning talk show denied overvaluing decorating items. She explained that she had been a fund-raiser for President Leonel Fernandez during the last presidential campaign.