Sergeant Abel Maria Brisita Cepin was relieved of his duties with the Police Department on Friday, 10 February 2017, after officials discovered that he had signed the Green Book Against Impunity. The director of human resources of the Police, Brigade General Franklin Vittini Duran cited “bad conduct” as the reason for the firing of the sergeant.
Mario Arturo Fernandez, coordinator of the non-political civic group, Santiago Somos Todos called the action “an abuse of power” and said this should not be accepted by Dominican society.
“This citizen, independently of his being a policeman, has the same rights as others to ask that in the Dominican Republic there be justice, that the law be applied, that there be a state of law, decency in the management of public funds, and thus his expression as such should not be punished,” said Fernandez.
He said that the Police have a uniformed officer at Parque Duarte in Santiago documenting and photographing everyone who signs the Green Book against Impunity.
The Green Book has 120 points nationwide including 29 places in Santiago.
A regional march has been organized for 26 March to demand an end to corruption and impunity in government.
The Green Book seeks to motivate the government to end impunity for government corruption acts.
As reported, Brisita Cepin received the telephone message from Vittini on Friday notifying him of his firing. In comments reported in 7 Dias online news service, Brisita said he signed the book without the intention of offending anyone. He said he identified with the movement against punishing those that wastefully spend public funds. The sergeant who lives in San José de las Matas, Santiago in a rented house says he has received some job offers. He said he will soon graduate in psychology and has studied forensic psychology during the 12 years he was in the Police.
More than 132,000 have signed the Green Book nationwide. Online signing is now possible at http://marchaverde.com/
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
7 Dias
MetroRD
13 February 2017
