Yván Lorenzo, spokesman for the opposition party PLD in the Senate, described recent actions by former Minister of Education Roberto Fulcar as “a pantomime.” As reported in Noticias SIN, the Elías Piña senator said: “The media tour that Fulcar is doing is a pantomime because he has privileged jurisdiction.”
After Fulcar was removed from the Ministry of Education, he was named minister without portfolio. This gives him at least RD$300,000 a month in wages, plus privileged judicial jurisdiction. This means, any prosecution needs to start at the Supreme Court of Justice.
The former Minister of Education had requested on the first day he was out of office that the Chamber of Accounts carry out an audit of his mandate in the Ministry of Education. The next day, on Wednesday, 10 August he was at the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Attorney General (Pepca) to deliver documentation on the purchase of digital books. The Pepca does not have jurisdiction to investigate a government minister.
PLD senator Ivan Lorenzo says Fulcar demonstrated the good relations he has with the president of the Chamber of Accounts.
“Now he has a golden opportunity. The President of the Republic has granted him the honor of having the privileged jurisdiction… notice that they sacrificed the good friend Geanilda Vásquez that is almost not talked about, then he was granted the privilege of a privileged jurisdiction, he has a golden opportunity.” Geanilda Vasquez was removed from her position as minister without portfolio to make room for the former Minister of Education.
Lorenzo explained that Fulcar is putting on a media show, because he has privileged jurisdiction. “The cases of the ministers like his case, are followed by the Supreme Court of Justice. Suppose tomorrow he [Fulcar] says President let me resign, accept my resignation, that I am going to put myself at the disposal of justice. In that case, he can go to the Pepca, I am here and I want an investigation of my management to be initiated.”
When questioned if that means that right now the Pepca cannot investigate him directly, Lorenzo explained that only a Supreme Court prosecutor can investigate a government minister.
Lorenzo commented that throughout the two years Fulcar was at the helm of the Ministry of Education, the PLD had submitted several resolutions in the Senate inviting him to explain matters, yet the ruling party members never voted in favor of the resolutions.
Fulcar is a high ranking official in the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). He was the campaign manager for the presidential campaign of President Luis Abinader. His brother, Julito Fulcar has been the speaker for the PRM in the Chamber of Deputies.
Read more in Spanish:
Noticias SIN
Listin Diario
11 August 2022