Lawyer Carlos Balcacer has presented a complaint against Petroleum Refinery head Felix Jimenez, Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo, Economy Minister Temistocles Montas and Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia to the Supreme Court of Justice on behalf of Gregory Castellanos Ruano. The officials are accused of offering bribes to PLD legislators in return for supporting the bill to allow President Danilo Medina to run for re-election, as reported in El Dia.
The complaint says that the PLD Senate and the Chamber of Deputies spokesmen, Adriano Sanchez Roa and Ruben Maldonado, were summoned to a meeting by Francisco Javier Garcia, Gonzalo Castillo, Felix Jimenez, Jose Ramon Peralta and Temistocles Montas and were asked to withdraw their opposition to re-election in return for millions of pesos in economic compensation. Castellanos Ruano mentioned statements by senator Sonia Mateo that accused Felix Jimenez of saying that he had US$38 million to push through the constitutional change.
Meanwhile, Espaillat senator Jose Rafael Vargas said that the re-election would not pass in the National Assembly because even if all PLD legislators were to vote in favor, this would not be enough to pass the reform. Vargas belongs to a group of 15 PLD senators who oppose the reform.
El PLD se desgarra por debate sobre reforma para la reelección