The president of the Fourth Collegiate Court of the National District, Pilar Rufino Diaz, who ordered house arrest for Pascual Cordero Martinez (El Chino), accused of murder, asset laundering and drug trafficking, has justified her ruling for house arrest for the accused on the grounds that he needed medical care. As reported, El Chino did not submit a medical certificate when he originally requested house arrest. The judge said it was enough for the accused to lift up his shirt to show her his operation scars.
The judge said he had been freed on RD$5 million bail, confirmed by the National District Second Hall of the Penal Court of the Court of Appeals. However, Cordero did not show up to the proceedings and was declared a fugitive on 14 September 2015 and subsequently arrested.
She said that “El Chino” was in pretrial detention on a separate charge in the jurisdiction of Higuey, where he is accused of heading an international drug trafficking network.
National District prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso announced she would appeal the decision to allow house arrest on the grounds that a medical certificate was not presented, and because the decision was just based on a visual examination by the judge.
Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito has asked the Supreme Court of Justice to investigate the house arrest ruling.
El Dia reports that in another case, Pascual Cordero was accused of bribing former director of prisons Mario Acosta Santos with RD$1 million in return for being transferred from the jail in Higuey to La Victoria. Acosta Santos was cleared of the accusation by the courts.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2016/02/11/407426/jueza-justifica-sentencia-a-favor-de-el-chino
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/2016/02/11/i205151_procurador-solicita-investigue-tribunal-vario-coercion-chino.html#.Vr20kUvxj7J
