Former senator Charlie Marriotti read a statement on Sunday, 19 December 2021, where the former ruling party, the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) distances party leader Danilo Medina Sánchez from his brother, Alexis Medina Sanchez. Alexis Medina Sánchez is in preventive jail in Najayo waiting for trial in the Operacion Anti-Pulpo (Anti-Octopus Case). The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) presented last week the accusations of Alexis Medina Sánchez and the arraignment file includes a clause where the government contractor is accused of abusing his personal connections to former President Danilo Medina Sánchez to benefit from government procurement.
Anti-corruption prosecutors filed on Friday, 17 December 2021 the formal charges against several former government officials and their associates in the so-called Pulpo case. The arraignment file states that Alexis Medina Sanchez, the main suspect, without being a successful businessman, had achieved a high economic success due to the “actions and omissions” of his brother, former President Danilo Medina Sanchez, who governed the country between 2012 and 2020.
Mariotti, who is the secretary general of the PLD, said the mention of Danilo Medina in the file is an attempt to discredit the former President as a politician and in consequence, discredit the PLD. The Political Committee also accuses the Pepca of selectively prosecuting former government officials. Mariotti was speaking for the Political Committee of the PLD.
Mariotti read a statement that describes the prosecution as “biased and irresponsible” and criticized the using the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) to make defamatory public statements.
Mariotti stated that no one can be criminally held responsible for events that are imputed to another, regardless of the blood ties that may unite them.
PLD party president, Danilo Medina was not present for the reading of the statement. While the event was convened as a press conference, journalists were not allowed to ask questions.
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Diario Libre
El Caribe
El Caribe
Listin Diario
20 December 2021