Virgilio Bello Rosa resigned yesterday as Solicitor General of the Dominican Republic, after receiving a ?scolding? from President Hipolito Mejia, who criticized the efficiency of anti-corruption prosecutions under Bello?s supervision. Bello Rosa told a large group of reporters that he did not like receiving rebukes from Mejia but that he would not respond to the President?s comments made in San Francisco de Macoris, in deference to his respect for the President?s office. He also referred to his awareness that his tenure in the office of Solicitor General was a temporary position.
The developments surrounding Bello Rosa?s resignation resulted over the comments he made that there did not seem to be the will in Dominican governments to fight corruption. He did not make any exception in the case of the Mejia government.
Throughout the two years and four months Bello Rosa has acted as solicitor general, he has made headlines for his fight against corruption, particularly for having disputed District Attorney Maximo Aristy Castro?s grading of the case against former presidential security chief, Colonel Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico. Bello Rosa refuted the correctional classification assigned to the matter and demanded that the case be tried in a criminal court. The issue later petered out after Baninter, the bank that had issued the credit card to Goico that was used supposedly to transact fraudulent charges of over RD$40 million, declined to press official charges necessary to the send the case to court. In another incident, Bello Rosa had said he would pursue the former vice consul in Cap Haitien, Haiti, Felix Garcia, for corruption-related charges. Although the Department of Migration charged that Garcia misused his diplomatic influence to move Chinese aliens into the Dominican Republic (supposedly on their way to Puerto Rico), he was nevertheless allowed to be sworn in as the PRD deputy for La Vega. As a consequence, Garcia now enjoys congressional immunity from the charges. Bello Rosa had said he would order Garcia?s arrest as soon as the congressional session recessed.
Bello Rosa said his intentions are to return to his private practice and carry on in politics, which he said he felt was his mission.
Carlos Salcedo, executive director of Finjus, the foundation for the promotion of correct implementation of justice, told the CDN news network that the resignation brings about doubts as to whether the Mejia government has any serious aim to fight corruption. He described Bello Rosa as one of the most honest officers of the Mejia administration.
