Judge Deyvi Timotel Peguero of the Seventh Court of Instruction of the National District set the preliminary trial hearing for the Antipulpo (Anti-Octopus) case for 4 April 2022. The hearing to revise the preventive custody measures of the network accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of financial scamming of the government was set for 21 February 2022.
During the Monday, 7 February 2022 hearing, the judge ordered the prosecuting body to provide a space in the Najayo Correction and Rehabilitation Center so that the four pre-trial detainees in the case can study, together with their lawyers, the indictment on the computers in prison.
This measure refers to the prisoners Alexis Medina, main accused and brother of the former president Danilo Medina; Fernando Rosa, former president of the Patrimonial Fund of the Reformed Companies (Fonper); Wacal Méndez Pineda and José Dolores Santana, alleged frontmen for Alexis Medina.
The others accused in the case are: Julián Esteban Suriel. Also Domingo Santiago Muñoz, Aquiles Christopher, Fernando Rosa, Rafael Antonio Germosén, Wilfredo “Freddy” Hidalgo, Francisco Pagán and Carmen Magalys Medina Sánchez. Alexis Medina Sánchez and Carmen Magalys Medina are the brother and sister of former President Danilo Medina.
Others included in the Antipulpo case are María Isabel de los Milagros Torres, José Miguel Genao Torres, Pachristy Emmanuel Ramírez Pacheco, Antonio Florentino Méndez. Also Lina Ercilia de la Cruz Vargas, Carlos José Alarcón Veras, Rigoberto Alcántara Batista, Víctor Matías Encarnación Montero.
Also Carlos Martín Montes de Oca, Rafael Leónidas de Oleo, Libni Arodi Valenzuela Matos, Paola Mercedes Molina Suazo, Francisco Ramón Brea Morel (a) Johnny and Lewyn Ariel Castillo Robles.
The legal counsel of several of the accused had requested more time to study the accusations. The legal counsel received on 14 January 2022 a file with more than 7,000 pages. The prosecution says it will call 169 witnesses to the stand.
The coordinator of Political Analysis of Participacion Ciudadana, the civic watchdog group, Francisco (Pancho) Alvarez, says that the preliminary trial could take several months and could exceed one year. He explained that during the preliminary hearing, witnesses are not heard, but the legality of the evidence is examined.
Participación Ciudadana is circulating an “Antipulpo for Dummies” version that summarizes the case in layperson language.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
8 February 2022