President Leonel Fernandez admitted in reply to a journalist’s question in New York City that he was the one who overturned the district attorney’s summons to former President Hipolito Mejia. President Fernandez said that the prosecutor had not notified him of the decision. President Fernandez said that now that the case against former army captain Quirino Paulino Castillo will be heard in a New York court, he will leave the questioning of Mejia to that jurisdiction. Servio Tulio Castanos Guzman, spokesman for the Foundation for Institutionality and Justice (Finjus) called President Fernandez’s statement unfortunate and not in line with the government’s stance on fighting corruption and strengthening institutions.
Orlando Gil, political analyst for the Listin Diario, comments that from now on when a former government official is called to testify, no one will believe that it is an independent action by the prosecutor.