The Attorney General’s department is seeking a San Cristobal council member, Benito Rodriguez Jaquez, and a Dominican Municipal League (LMD) official, Ramon Caraballo Vilchez, who are at large. Diario Libre reports that arrest warrants have been issued against both men. Meanwhile, a council member from Elias Pina was arrested and detained at the National District Attorney’s department jail. All cases are related to the recent official passport fraud case that was uncovered last month. Also, the former Technical Undersecretary of the LMD, Amaury Guzman, has new attorneys and this caused the suspension of the hearing of an appeal in favor of the detainee. Guzman was in charge of requesting official passports and visas at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, allegedly on behalf of false council members, and their wives and children. Assistant Attorney General Frank Soto asked the suspects to turn themselves so as not to complicate their situation any further. The AG department has requested coercion measures against 33 suspects connected to this case, seven of whom are detained in Najayo and La Victoria prisons. About 12 employees of the Technical Undersecretary Department of the LMD have been transferred to other departments to facilitate the investigation under way.
Listin Diario reports that after checking the official list of council members provided by the LMD, the Attorney General’s department has detected approximately 90 impostors who obtained official passports and traveled abroad. Investigations have also found that many council members in remote communities who did not know they were eligible for official passports were used to get them the document in exchange for reporting several wives who were also issued the document. Listin Diario also found out from a reliable source that Maria Martinez Saldana was the alleged contact at the Ministry of Foreign Relations and was the person who delivered the passports to the impostors and the women who married them. According to the information gathered, Martinez was fired one and a half months ago, from her post as Assistant to the Director of the Category Passport Department, which she held since the previous administration. Listin also found out that she was fired immediately after the fraud was detected and that she will be questioned by the Attorney General’s department.