Diario Libre reports that the deceased José Rodríguez (Joselito or Palmita), the lead suspect in the murder of San Pedro de Macorís broadcasters Luis Manuel Medina and Leonidas Martínez, had felt he had been cheated by CEA and took revenge on the two journalists who had accepted to serve as mediators in the dispute over the land sale.
During the Hipólito Mejía government, the CEA set up a division for the sale of property after the sugar mills were privatized. The many irregularities in the sales of property are now coming to the forefront, especially after the murder of the two broadcasters. The Dominican Alliance Against Corruption (ADOCCO) has requested that President Danilo Medina immediately revoke CEA property sales that are known to have been carried out at well below market prices over the past 20 years.
In the Rodríguez case, the State Sugar Council (CEA) shared with Diario Libre nine documents confirming that they had fulfilled their obligations with Rodríguez. The documents indicate that the CEA sold to Rodríguez 45 tareas (1 tarea = 629 square meters) in the El Jagual section of San Pedro de Macorís. Rodríguez would have paid RD$94,500 down payment, corresponding to 35% of the property value, another RD$20,000 for the survey and appraisal and another RD$5,000 in fees for other documentation to complete the transaction, for a total RD$119,500 in total.
The press director of the CEA said that the 35% advance payment made by Rodríguez to the CEA as down payment was returned to him. Therefore, CEA denies having had anything to do with the murder of the broadcasters.
Diario Libre reports that in a letter dated 2 December 2016, written by CEA to Rodríguez, informing him that the land he had agreed to purchase was in fact occupied and CEA had agreed to return the money to Rodríguez.
Finally, documents issued by the CEA indicate that on 11 January 2017, Rodríguez received a check from CEA for RD$119,500 that would account for the total amount of money Rodriguez had paid to CEA.
The Police reported that Rodríguez committed suicide when he found himself pursued by the authorities. Nevertheless, aside from the prosecutor and the forensic pathologist, the body has not been seen. There is speculation he had five shots in his body, and not the one shot with which the Police say he committed suicide. The relatives of Rodríguez say they do not believe the version on the suicide and denied he had been deported from the United States as the Police has reported.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
17 February 2017
