The newly appointed administrator of the Dominican Republic’s Banco de Reservas (Banreservas), Samuel Pereyra has released statements questioning the RD$100 million “gift” bestowed on out-going administrator Simon Lizardo for his “good work.” The board of directors of Banreservas, in one of its last meeting under the Medina administration, approved an award of 3% of earnings for the out-going administrator, according to sources at the bank. The former president of the board of director, Donald Guerrero, the Minister of Hacienda, proposed the reward for Lizardo, according to the reports received by the digital news media Acento. This is a first for the government commercial bank that got its start in the 1940s.
According to the new administrator, Samuel Pereyra, the decision regarding a possible pension for Lizardo was left on the table for the new administration to decide. This pension would be about RD$1 million per month for life. When asked about the 3% reward given to Lizardo, Pereyra told the Acento reporters that he was not aware of this action and would check the last resolutions of the board of directors. Pereyra told the reporters that the new board of directors would review the decision to pay out dividends to the former administrator general, Simon Lizardo.
This weekend, a photo of a would-be secretary of Lizardo who reportedly made upwards of RD$300,000 a month circulated on Whatsapp.
The announcement of the bonus for good management is one of a long list of scandalous payments made to former government officers.
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Acento
23 August 2020