Supreme Court Judge Frank Soto declared yesterday, Tuesday 4 November 2014 that he is able to hear a petition from Senator Felix Bautista, who has appealed for the return of confiscated properties in the name of his Rofi real estate company.
He took his decision after rejecting a request by Pelagio Alcantara, deputy director of the Unit for the Pursuit of Administrative Corruption, and assistant prosecutor Carlos Castillo.
The Convergencia Nacional de Abogados, a lawyer advocacy group, challenged Soto’s impartiality for hearing the case on the grounds that he is a member of the influential Central Committee of the ruling PLD party of which senator Bautista is the organizational secretary.
The judge also ordered the lawyers for the National Lawyers’ Council (CONA), the Dominican Alliance against Corruption (Adocco) and the Citizens’ Movement against Corruption (C-3) to get down from the witness stand as they were not part of the process.
Remberto Pichardo of C3 and Yuniol Ramirez of CONA opposed his decision.
Read more about the corruption accusations against the San Juan de la Maguana senator.
http://nuria.com.do
Consorcio Hemisferio Imperial, el principio del imperio Bautista I y II
http://z101digital.com/app/article.aspx?id=140655
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/11/4/344024/Juez-Frank-Soto-se-declara-competente-para-conocer-caso-del-senador
See the complete case against Bautista in Spanish: http://acento.com.do/2014/actualidad/8189036-lea-completo-expediente-contra-felix-bautista-por-corrupcion-y-lavado/