The Second Hall of the Appeals Court of the Province of Santo Domingo East authorized domiciliary arrest to businessman Eddy Santana Zorrilla. He is accused of bribery, criminal association and fraud to the government related to the murder of lawyer Yuniol Ramírez on 11 October 2017 who had been investigating corruption at the state bus agency, OMSA. Santana is a leading supplier to the agency.
Judges Francisco Madera, Pilar Rufino Díaz and Wendy Valdez accepted to change the pre-trial custody coercive measure for domiciliary arrest for a year. Judge Madera said he favored two months pre-trial custody and not domiciliary arrest. Judge Diaz argued that Santana has not been included in the murder accusations by state prosecutors. Nevertheless, the family of Yuniol Ramírez have accused Santana of being key player in the murder of their relative and have requested a change of where the trial is being heard.
In the case, under pre-trial custody are the former director of the OMSA, Manuel Rivas, and OMSA former employees José Antonio Mercado Blanco (El Grande) and colonel Faustino Rosario Díaz.
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Listin Diario
21 November 2017
