The Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic in May 2025 issued a landmark ruling banning the public use of nicknames to identify high-profile corruption cases in the judiciary.
In Ruling No. TC/0225/25, the court upheld a constitutional appeal filed by Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez, former Attorney General, effectively prohibiting the Office of the Prosecutor (Public Ministry) from using the label “Caso Medusa” to refer to his criminal case. The decision is binding across the judicial system and must be applied to all individuals facing criminal proceedings.
The ruling clarifies that code names or aliases may still be used internally by investigators to prevent information leaks during pre-trial investigations. However, once cases enter the public domain, all defendants must be referred to by their legal names.
“Throughout all stages of the criminal process, individuals must be identified by their real names—except in special cases involving security or confidentiality, which may justify coding or anonymizing their identities,” the Constitutional Court stated in its decision.
In light of the ruling, Participación Ciudadana, a civic watchdog group, announced new formal naming conventions for the corruption cases it monitors. The updated names prioritize the full names of key defendants, followed by the phrase “y compartes” (“and associates”) to include additional individuals involved in each case, a traditional legal practice in the country when multiple defendants are present.
Here are the new official names for several major cases:
Formerly: Caso Anti Pulpo
Now: Case of Juan Alexis Medina Sánchez, Carmen Magaly Medina, Fernando Rosa and associates
This case includes additional defendants such as Aquiles Christopher, Antonio Florentino Méndez, and others. Several individuals, including Francisco Pagán and Julián Esteban Suriel, have already been sentenced through abbreviated proceedings or alternative legal mechanisms.
Formerly: Caso Coral and Coral 5G
Now: Case of Major General Adán Cáceres Silvestre, Pastor Rossy Guzmán, Colonel Rafael Núñez de Aza and associates
Other defendants include high-ranking military officers and government officials, such as General Juan Carlos Torres Robiou and Captain Franklin Antonio Mata Flores.
Formerly: Caso Medusa
Now: Case of Jean Alain Rodríguez, Javier Alejandro Forteza, José Miguel Estrada Jackson and associates
This case centers on alleged corruption within the Attorney General’s Office and includes figures such as Rafael Antonio Mercedes Marte and Miguel José Moya.
Formerly: Caso Calamar
Now: Case of Donald Guerrero, Gonzalo Castillo, José Ramón Peralta and associates
One of the most expansive cases, involving numerous former public officials and business figures linked to financial mismanagement during the previous administration.
Formerly: Caso Camaleón
Now: Case of José Gómez, Hugo Beras and associates
This case involves former public transport officials and advisors accused of administrative misconduct.
Participación Ciudadana reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring judicial transparency and advancing the fight against corruption. The organization emphasized the importance of ensuring that investigations lead to definitive rulings and that all defendants are treated within the bounds of constitutional rights and due process.
Read more in Spanish:
Participacion Ciudadana
25 June 2025