Anibal Paez, a Congressman from the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) and one of the closest collaborators of ex-President Joaquin Balaguer during his last term (1986-96), told the news media that there was no corruption in the last government, only “skimming” off the top of department budgets.
The comments came as a surprise to many and caused amusement among political adversaries and commentators in the news media, as Mr. Paez’s name was one of the most frequently mentioned when accusations were made about corruption in the National Palace. “Anything that someone doesn’t like, he calls it corruption,” argued Mr. Paez, who said that what he called “skimming” (macuteo) happens “all over the world”.
When asked if he would be willing to appear in court should he be charged with acts of corruption during the last administration, Mr. Paez said that he would, but that he was confident that such charges would not be made.