At a time when the most recent Gallup poll forecasts a change of government as of August 2020, the Public Ministry has announced an express contest to appoint 16 new prosecutors, including half of the head prosecutors nationwide.
As reported, the contest will fill the resignation of 17 prosecutors. Among the head positions that need to be appointed are the prosecutor in charge of administrative corruption (Procuraduría Especializada de Persecución a la Corrupción Administrativa -PEPCA), the head of the High Technology Crimes and Offenses (Procuraduría Especializada para Crimenes de Alta Tecnología) and the Specialized Prosecutior for Electoral Crimes (Procuraduría Especializada en Crímenes y Delitos Electorales), a position created by the Electoral Law 15-19.
El Dia reported on 19 February 2020 that the Public Ministry (Attorney General Office) has announced two contests to fill positions for the key positions. The contest was convened on 7 February 2020 and the aspirants need to register to participate by 22 February. Those who are chosen will be sworn in on 17 April, a month before the presidential elections when new authorities will be chosen for a four-year term.
The Public Ministry legal framework establishes that these prosecutors cannot be removed for four years. As reported in El Dia, the officers for those positions were chosen two years ago, but have now resigned. There will be new prosecutors appointed in the provinces of La Altagracia, Barahona, San Pedro de Macorís, Puerto Plata, Monseñor Nouel, La Romana, Monte Plata, Villa Altagracia, Azua, Constanza, Bahoruco, Elías Piña, Cotuí, San José de Ocoa and Hermanas Mirabal.
In August 2018, the Attorney General Office under Jean Alain Rodríguez did an overhaul to the nation’s prosecutors. After presenting major irregularities in the process for appointing 89 prosecutors to key positions in a televised show, journalists Edith Febles, Altagracia Salazar and Ricardo Nieves lost their jobs on the CDN TV and radio network.
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El Dia
20 February 2020