Ex-President Leonel Fernández was interrogated for three hours yesterday by Appeal Court judges about the Programa de Empleo Mínimo Eventual (PEME). That controversial plan cost his government RD$400 million. The money, in the form of government grants, was used to pay off those thought to be potential strike organizers, according to the Listín Diario newspaper. Yesterday, Fernández proclaimed his complete confidence that everything about the program was transparent and that he and his former collaborators are innocent of any wrongdoing. Still to be questioned are the ex-Secretary of State, Luis Ynchausti and the ex-Technical Secretary of the Presidency, Temístocles Montás. The PEME program was created to provide employment to people considered to be trouble makers. News reports have claimed that it subsequently served to channel resources for political campaigning and personal profiteering. Former President Fernández has said in the past that he funded the program because he only saw two ways to achieve social peace: brutal repression or pay offs.
