The Abinader administration’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor is telling people to have patience. Almost every week evidence of more major corruption in the Medina administration is presented. The head of the Specialized Prosecutor for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca), Wilson Camacho, threw a bucket of cold water on the aspirations for fast-tracked justice to that vox populi says have carried out big time corruption in the past government.
Camacho said again that before submitting a person to justice, a comprehensive investigation has to be carried out that takes months. The nation was already impressed with the 267-page file Anti-Pulpo case, regarding the Ministry of Public health, Patrimonial Fund for Capitalized Enterprises (Fonper) and the Office of Supervisory Engineers for State Public Works (Oisoe). This is the first corruption case tied to former President Danilo Medina and his family. The case looks into government contracting by Juan Alexis Medina Sánchez and 10 government officials or business frontmen. Among the government officials is Carmen Magalys Medina Sánchez, sister of former President Danilo Medina Sánchez who authorized major contracting to companies now tied to her younger brother.
“Between a complaint of corruption, of whatever kind, and a coercive measure (such as Operation Anti-Pulpo), there are many hours of work (months), hundreds of investigative steps, thousands of documents reviewed, dozens of people involved and many, many discussions,” said the deputy attorney general on his Twitter account.
Camacho’s statement comes after several media networks aired evidence of irregularities in government contracting with power utilities and other state electricity entities carried out by Maxy and Alexander Montilla Sierra, brothers-in-law of former President Danilo Medina. The former general managers of the power utilities say they will wait to learn of the formal accusations that will be made by the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, Camacho does say that his department is following up on reports of criminal wrongdoings. “We are going to investigate any fact that we find out by any means that could constitute a criminal offense, in this case a corruption offense,” he said.
Camacho said the first cases being documented are:
Ministry of Public Works-Oisoe-Fonpeur-Juan Alexis Medina Sánchez case
National Institute for Early Child Care (Inaipi)
Presidency Social Plan
Ministry of Public Works asphalt procurement
Electricity utilities case
For years during the Leonel Fernández and Danilo Medina administrations, investigative journalists presented evidence of corruption in government. But then ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) had strong influence in all branches of government, including the Justice Department, apparently impeding cases from moving forward. President Luis Abinader of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) won the vote of Dominicans with the promise of an independent justice.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Somos Pueblo
El Nuevo Diario
Hoy
El Nacional
Diario Libre
El Dia caricature
El Nuevo Diario
17 December 2020