Is history being written in the Dominican Republic? Will there be consequences to corruption in government? Judge Jose Alejandro Vargas of the First Collegiate Court of the National District began the hearing on Sunday, 6 December 2020 to decide the preventive custody of the first 10 accused of big time government corruption during the Danilo Medina administration. The hearing lasted 14 hours. The hearing began at 10 in the morning on Sunday and concluded shortly after midnight, when the judge ordered it to resume on Monday, 7 December 2020 at 2pm
Adjunct Prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso read the findings contained in the 267-page file that tells of the schemes that enabled Juan Alexis Medina Sanchez, the brother of former President Danilo Medina and associates to accumulate vast and yet unquantified fortunes.
The Justice Department accuses Alexis Medina of “defrauding and embezzling the Dominican state,” taking advantage of his family relationship with former President Danilo Medina. Through his lawyer Carlos Salcedo, the former President has said that he was not aware of his brother’s actions.
The case is focusing on corruption related to deals of the Ministry of Public Health, the Fund of Capitalized State Enterprises (Fonper), the Office of Supervisory Engineers of the Presidency (OISOE) and the Public Procurement Agency (PGCP) with 10 of the first accused as the case begins.
The Attorney General’s Office, represented by Yeni Berenice Reynoso, made it clear that she was there to defend the government’s finances and not to waste time. “The bar of the Justice Department is here to discuss rights, we are not going to answer nothing that is not about the law and, in due course, as a woman from Santiago, I am going to take care of you in the process, when it is my turn, because we all know each other,” the prosecutor said early in the hearing.
On Sunday, the streamed hearing focused on former controller Rafael Germosén who admitted to approving many unlawful deals but said he was eventually removed because he did not approve others in time as desired.
Pending still is to hear the arguments of former Oisoe director Francisco Pagán and the brother of former President Danilo Medina, Alexis Medina Sanchez, a major government contractor now under the limelight for unlawful contracting.
On Friday, 4 December, the prosecution added Wacal Vernabel Méndez Pineda to the list of 10 accused in the beginning of investigations against contracting by Alexis Medina Sanchez.
The defendants are: Alexis Medina Sánchez, Carmen Magaly Medina Sánchez, Francisco Pagán, Fernando Rosa, Juan Esteban Suriel Suazo, Lorenzo Wilfredo Hidalgo Núñez (Freddy Hidalgo), Rafael Antonio Germosén Andújar, Aquiles Alejandro Cristopher Sánchez, Domingo Antonio Santiago Muñoz and José Dolores Santona Carmona. They are in jail at the Ciudad Nueva Palace of Justice.
Read background in English:
DR1 News
DR1 News
DR1 News
Follow the story in Spanish:
El Caribe
El Nuevo Diario
Listin Diario
Hoy
Nuria Piera – August 2020
Nuria Piera
Nuria Piera
Nuria Piera
Alicia Ortega
El Dia con Huchi Lora, Edith Febles, Carolina Santana
Altagracia Salazar – Sin Maquillaje
Listin Diario
7 December 2020