Many Dominican legislators are owners of sports betting businesses. Now legislators mentioned in the Operation Squid file that are related to betting shop companies say they were victims of extortion. Operation Squid is about a mega state fraud in which one of the leading scams is related to extortion of irregularly-operated betting shops nationwide.
The Operation Squid file reveals that Ramón – Mimilo – Jimenez, Fernando Crisostomo, Jose Arturo Ureña and Jose Pablo Ortiz Giraldo set up a structure for extortion of betting shops (lottery and sports shops) in coordination with former Minister of Hacienda Donald Guerrero. The whistleblowers in the case say that ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) deputy, Sergio Moya (Goris) served as one of the leading coordinators of the extortion scheme against the lottery banks. Diario Libre mentions that Moya is the owner of Merengue Sport betting shops.
Diario Libre reports that betting shops that would have paid the bribes include King Sport, Loto Real, Loteka and Naco Sport.
Diario Libre says that the extortions affected betting shops that operated illegally, old betting shops that were not correctly registered and new betting shops.
In its coverage of the story on legislators and betting shops, Diario Libre points out: “Congressmen linked to the gambling shops, the same whose role is to make laws, represent, supervise and comply with the laws, admitted on 29 March 2023 that they have paid millions of pesos monthly for extortion carried out during the past government and linked to the Calamar case.”
Diario Libre in its editorial on 30 March, questions why the legislators did not denounce the situation before. The editorial states: “If the legislators knew how the scheme was operating and who were the key persons and remained silent, accepting the extortion… how can the people trust these?”
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
30 March 2023