Following 32 hearings for those charged in a network of assassins who killed three drivers from the National Transport Federation the New Option (Fenatrano), National District court judges could now be ready to make their final ruling.
Yesterday, Monday 19 February, Judge Yissel Soto said she would hear the closing arguments from attorneys of the accused. Dr. Plutarco Jaquez, who represents the ex-councilor from the municipality of Pedro Brand, Ericson de los Santos Solis, will lead the closing arguments.
Following the closing statements, the court would retire to deliberate the verdict.
The Public Prosecution Service has asked the court to convict Arsenio Quevedo and Danilo Reynoso and sentence them to 20 years in jail. The prosecution has also requested that Ericson de los Santos Solis, Amauris Cabrera, Danilo Octavio Díaz and Cristino Batista receive 30 years in prison.
The lawyers of the families of the murdered and injured drivers have asked for compensation of RD$800 million to be paid by the accused men and sentences from 20 to 30 years in jail.
The defense lawyer of Arsenio Quevedo has asked the court to dismiss all charges against their client stating there was not sufficient proof that he participated in the criminal actions.
Amauris Cabrera admitted his part in the murder of two of the drivers saying that his regulation weapon had seven bullets, but he only used two in what he called a “confusing incident” which lead to the deaths of Ángel Javier and Overnys Guerrero.
During the process the Public Prosecution service presented 165 forms of evidence, of which the trial rejected 74, including a warrant for a raid on the home of transport businessman Arsenio Quevedo and a raid at the head office of Transport Union (Unatrafin).
The group accused of the murders of drivers Overnys Guerrero, Ángel Javier and Mateo Nieves de Jesús, are also accused of criminal association, illegal arms possession and being in a gang of assassins to execute drivers and control public transport routes.
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Listin Diario
20 February 2018
