Police Mayor Raúl Alejandro Girón Jiménez is the key witness of state prosecution in the Coral and Coral 5G government corruption cases being heard in a National District court. He is back in court presenting what he knows of the corruption schemes at the Presidential Security Corps (Cusep), the Touristic Security Corps (Cestur) and the National Children’s Council (Conani) under the former President Danilo Medina administration (2012 to 2020).
The main accused in the merged Coral and Coral 5G cases are the director of the Presidential Security Corps, Major General Adan Caceres Silvestre; the director of the Tourism Police (then Cestur), Air Force General Juan Carlos Torres Robiou (Coral 5G); and Police Colonel Rafael Núñez de Aza. They are accused of manipulating payrolls, meal, fuel and event allotments, cell phone purchases, and making these appear legitimate operations when the schemes were for personal enrichment. Around 30 other people and 18 businesses are under investigation in the case.
Giron repeated several of the accusations he first shared at the arraignment in May 2021 on billions in diverted funds. He highlighted the differences in the laws that control the Police and the Military and how there was complicity in several government departments that enabled the corruption schemes to progress during the Medina administration. Girón says that much more than RD$4.5 billion for which evidence is presented regarding graft took place.
Cáceres Silvestre, as chief of the Presidential Security Corps (Cusep), was also the security chief for former President Danilo Medina from 2012 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2020.
Giron has said his former bosses accuse him of being responsible for the graft under investigation in court. He said that early on he was told that he either accepted the orders and cash or could be killed (plata o plomo). He said he complied with most of the orders, yet not so when he was told to erase his Whatsapp posts and Messenger posts that today serve to incriminate the accused of the corruption schemes that repeated themselves in the Cusep, Cestur and Conani during the Danilo Medina administration.
General Adán Cáceres spoke in court reiterating he is not guilty of the charges. Air Force General Juan Carlos Torres Robiou and Police Colonel Rafael Núñez de Aza have testified, denying their participation in the administrative corruption network
The hearings will continue on Monday, 26 June 2023.
Follow the story:
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
First statements by Giron in May 2021
DR1 News
20 June 2023