The First Collegiate Court of La Vega has dismissed the criminal charges against Miguel Arturo López Florencio, known as “Micky” López, who was accused by the Public Ministry of leading a vast money laundering network linked to drug trafficking. Lopez is the husband of former PRM deputy Rosa Amalia Pilarte who was already sentenced for the same accusations. She had alleged innocence of the operations carried out by her husband and sons.
The Public Ministry has said it will appeal. There is a four-year statute for accusations to be presented, but this has been extended, especially in cases of corruption and drug trafficking. The long-lasting cases is a resource used by the defense in their attempt to get the accusations filed away.
The court’s decision, presided over by Judge Lucrecia Rodríguez, was immediately denounced by the prosecutor of La Vega, Aura Luz García, who labeled it “the chronicle of a death foretold.” García announced that the prosecution would appeal the ruling within the legally established timeframe.
A notable aspect of the case is that López’s wife, former congresswoman Rosa Amalia Pilarte López, has already been convicted in a separate privileged jurisdiction for the same underlying facts. She received a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of asset laundering detrimental to the Dominican state, although she has appealed the verdict.
The dismissal of the case against Micky López hinges on the expiration of the four-year statute of limitations stipulated in Article 148 of the Dominican Republic’s Penal Procedure Code.
The Public Ministry initially filed charges in 2020, and on December 1, 2023, the case was referred for trial by Judge Sindy Lizardo of the Second Court of Instruction of La Vega after multiple postponements.
According to the initial investigation by the La Vega Prosecutor’s Office and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office Against Money Laundering, the network allegedly headed by Micky López moved $2.539 billion Dominican pesos through the national financial system.
However, a subsequent, more in-depth investigation by the Attorney General’s Office revealed that the total amount involved reached $4.418 billion 339 million 312 pesos with 92 cents (RD$4,418,399,312.92).
The defense team for Micky López has been accused of employing delaying tactics, including numerous postponements and adjournments, which at times resulted in the unavailability of a court to hear the case.
Reportedly, the First Collegiate Court based its decision solely on the elapsed time without considering the specific circumstances surrounding the case’s progression.
Prosecutor Aura Luz García had previously requested that the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Luis Henry Molina, transfer the case to a different jurisdiction outside of La Vega, arguing that the conditions for a transparent trial did not exist locally.
The La Vega Public Ministry has faced significant hurdles in its efforts to prosecute the case, including repeated delays, unfavorable rulings, and requests for the case to be transferred to another jurisdiction.
Despite these obstacles, Prosecutor García insisted that they will appeal the court’s decision to dismiss the charges against López.
It is worth noting that on May 3, 2021, Judge José Martín De la Mota Contín of the Second Court of Instruction of La Vega had already declared the extinction of the criminal action against several commercial entities linked to the case, represented by Micky López and José Miguel López Pilarte. This ruling was appealed, and the original legal standing was reinstated.
In June 2021, the Public Ministry petitioned the Supreme Court of Justice for a change of venue, arguing that legal security could not be guaranteed in La Vega and requesting that the case be heard in a different jurisdiction.
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N Digital
Diario Libre
10 April 2025