State prosecutors deposited a request for pretrial detention for former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez and six others under investigation in the Operation Medusa. The prosecutors request that the case de declared complex to give more time for the investigations.
The former chief prosecutor is accused of being part of a network that defrauded the state of more than RD$6 billion. The request was submitted at 9:35pm at the limit of the 48 hours of the detention of the first arrested in the case. The network is accused of swindling the state, coalition of officials, money laundering, forgery of public documents, identity theft, and other crimes.
In addition to Rodríguez, others under investigation are Miguel José Moya, Rafael Antonio Mercedes Marte, Alfredo Alexander Solano Augusto, Rafael Stefano Canó Sacco, Javier Alejandro Forteza Ibarra, Jonnathan Josel Rodríguez Imbert, Jenny Marte Peña and Altagracia Guillén Calzado.
The request was submitted by a team of prosecutors headed by Mirna Ortiz who is the litigation coordinator of the Justice Department to the Permanent Attention Office judge located at the Ciudad Nueva Palace of Justice. The seven are in jail at the Ciudad Nueva temporary jail.
Prosecutor Mirna Ortiz says evidence of the RD$6 billion fraud to the state has been found and that investigations are ongoing and more people could be involved. She says the case file has over 600 pages.
The request will be heard by the judge of the Permanent Attention Office on 1 July 2021.
Defense lawyer Gustavo Biaggi Pumarol expressed concern for Rodríguez’s life if he is sent to pretrial custody since he had served as chief prosecutor and sent many to jail. The defense has requested domiciliary arrest. Once the arraignment is completed, Rodríguez will have a legal impediment to travel.
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El Nuevo Diario
1 July 2021