President Luis Abinader and Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ignacio Paliza both have spoken up on the will of the government to push the Extinction of Domain legislation through Congress. The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) has the votes to pass the anti-narcotics and government corruption bill. The present legislative period closes in 22 days.
The Extinction of Domain Bill has been debated in Congress since 2011. It primarily focuses on illicit wealth acquired through drug trafficking and corruption in government.
Senate president Eduardo Estrella told the general public that the spectacle of extradited drug lords serving their time in prison in the United States and returning to reclaim billionaire fortunes in the country needs to come to an end.
Legislators are pushing to add tax evasion to the bill so that businesspeople can also be penalized by the law.
The biggest snag in the bill is the issue of retroactivity. While Supreme Court judge Francisco Ortega once said that actions against government corruption never expire, others seek a limit to the time the government has to prosecute past corrupt acts. Several claim that if the bill is retroactive, it would not pass a review by the Constitutional Court.
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Diario Libre
El Caribe
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
4 July 2022