The executive director of civil society watchdog group Participacion Ciudadana speculated yesterday, Thursday 14 March that President Danilo Medina “does not want to prosecute or penalize corruption.” The administration that Medina inherited from his fellow party member, former President Leonel Fernandez, is ranked by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 as world leader in favoritism in decisions by government officials (144th of 144 countries), wastefulness of government spending (144th of 144 countries) 142nd in diversion of public funds and 138th in public trust in politicians.
Rosalia Sosa said that Medina has not given any signals to suggest that they will prosecute and penalize corruption, despite having committed to this during his presidential campaign. She said that despite persistent complaints about corruption in government from civil society and international organization, the individuals responsible are not being punished, as reported in Hoy.
“We need a true system with consequences, no matter who may fall,” she said. She commented on the Figueroa Agosto drug trafficking affair, pointing out that not a single government official or military officer was detained in the case. “It is impossible to believe that his group could have acted without government support,” added Sosa.
She insisted that in the DR the government officials use their positions to accumulate wealth.
“Another responsibility of President Medina is to review the Ministry of Foreign Relations payroll,” she said. The PC director that nothing has happened despite the long list of foreign service employees who do not carry out any role, or are appointed abroad but live in the DR. She also complained that the government continues to pay for advertisements in the press that are not of collective interest, but rather of the personal interest of a government official.
“Drug trafficking, murder by hire, and organized crime have found a niche in this country because they have penetrated the state through corruption. Look at the case of Arturo del Tiempo who even appeared in a photograph with the then-President (Leonel Fernandez). The Spanish authorities investigated and jailed him, but nothing happened here. That is why in the Dominican Republic still has high rates of corruption that are an embarrassment,” she said.
Rosalia Sosa criticized Medina for only touching on the topic when he was sworn in, and for saying that time should not be wasted looking back to the past.
The Medina administration has left most of his predecessor, President Leonel Fernandez’s cabinet members in their posts.
www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/2013/3/14/471395/ReportajeRosalia-SosaEl-presidente-Medina-no-quiere-perseguir-ni