Senator Hernani Salazar gave testimony yesterday at the attorney general’s office and said that he did not know or have any ties to Quirino Paulino Castillo or Bladimir Garcia, the accused drug traffickers jailed and awaiting trial in New York. He also said that he knew nothing about the sale of the Colibri helicopter that was in Paulino Castillo’s possession at the time of his arrest. During four hours of testimony, Salazar repeatedly denied any knowledge of the accused drug lords. His lawyer said that the judge should interrogate any and all of the people that rumors are connecting to the Quirino case. Yesterday, Salazar left the country for Miami amid a flurry of phone calls to reassure Migration officials that there were no restrictions on his traveling.
When Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito was asked about the situation of the senator from San Francisco de Macoris, he limited his comments to saying that everything will depend on the evidence supplied to the courts. He also said that the Quirino case is being handled not only by the Dominican Republic but also in conjunction with the authorities from the United States. He said that Salazar was questioned under oath at the prosecutor’s office in order to guarantee the senator his rights and personal safety. Salazar has been fingered as the go-between for the helicopter sale that, according to the owner of the import company, Importadora Fenix, Joaquin Ruiz Flaquer, belonged to Quirino Paulino Castillo. The former chief of the President’s advance group, Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico said that the chopper has been bought by Jose (Nino) Lopez, the senator’s personal assistant. The interrogation took place after lawyer Marino Vinicio Castillo presented videos and documents to the court that according to him implicated Salazar with Quirino and Bladimir Garcia.