Diario Libre publishes insights into the wealth of the members of the Chamber of Deputies. The analysis of the first wealth statements reveals more variety in the financials among deputies than in the Senate, where most of these are multimillionaires.
Diario Libre reports that of the recent 157 sworn declarations of assets published by the Comptroller’s Office up to Friday, 11 October 2024, at least eight re-elected, new, and outgoing deputies have a net worth exceeding RD$100 million. More than 80 have assets between RD$1 million and RD$20 million, while about five have less than a million, and seven reported a negative balance.
Diario Libre looks into the particular case of re-elected PLD deputy Juan Carlos Echavarría Milané. According to his declaration filed on 13 September 2024, at the age of 53, his assets on his statement amount to RD$430.4 million, with 50% corresponding to his ownership stake and/or capital invested in companies such as the Consorcio de Bancas Joselito and another referred to in the document as IR1, in which he invested RD$212.9 million.
In 2022, the investigative journalism program “El Informe con Alicia Ortega” reported that the deputy was one of five lawmakers linked to the gambling businesses who had allegedly failed to pay RD$159 million to the government in 2021 due to illegal lottery betting shops. In the case of Echavarría Milané, the estimated amount was RD$19.7 million. Of his 462 establishments at the time, 66% were unregulated, according to the report.
The legislator is a member of the standing committees on Contracts, Defense, and Housing, Habitat, and Buildings of the Chamber of Deputies.
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Diario Libre
15 October 2024