Defense lawyers representing journalist Marino Zapete have requested Jean Alain Rodriguez and former Public Works Minister and today Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidate Gonzalo Castillo to hear their testimonies regarding defamation charges. The sister of Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez has sued the journalist for linking her to Asimra, a company that benefited with millions in asphalt construction contracts. Also summoned lawyer Jorge Luis Polanco Rodriguez, Johnny de Jesus Cabrera Lopez, Junior Jose Hilario Arias, Miguel Antonio Pimentel Kareh, former director of Office of Supervisory Engineers of State Works (OISOE).
The lawyers want to hear from these on the reasons why Asimra received payments and contracts and how Jean Alain Rodríguez’s sister, Virginia Maybeth Rodríguez Sanchez received the payments from the Ministry of Public Works in violation with Public Procurement Law 340-06. Rodríguez Sanchez sued denying the ties with the company.
The case is scheduled to resume on 24 January 2020.
Marino Zapete presented evidence of the transactions during an airing of his El Jarabe televised show on TeleRadio America on 25 September 2019. The airing cost him his slot on that TV station. The director of the station said that Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez had informed him that if the program continued the station would be included in a defamation suit.
Read more in Spanish:
Red Noticias
13 January 2020