The Ministry of Education deposited RD$11 million into the account of a janitor at the Proyecto Emmanuel Public School instead of his RD$11,000 monthly wage. The recipient, 53-year old Julio Guerrero Alcantara withdrew RD$4 million from his account in RD$200,000 installments, as reported in Listin Diario.
The Specialized Prosecutor for Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) was quick to order pre-trial detention, but judge Jose Alejandro Vargas rejected the request. The judge said that this was not a criminal infraction and the court ruled that although there had been an error in the payment, the recipient should have known it was not owed to him and was obliged to return the money.
Guerrero declared in court that he went to the bank for his monthly wage and when he presented his identification card to the teller he was told he had RD$11 million and he said that money could not be his. However, according to Guerrero, the teller told him that if the money was in the account it was his, so he proceeded to withdraw the money, because he said he had many debts that had to be paid. Guerrero said he used the money to pay his debts.
Education Minister Carlos Amarante Baret filed the suit against Guerrero, explaining that an employee had committed a clerical error and deposited RD$11 million instead of RD$11,000 into the janitor’s account. The Ministry says that Guerrero should have notified the Ministry instead of keeping quiet and withdrawing the money.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/11/13/395963/dejan-libre-a-un-empleado-que-retiro-rd-4-millones