El Caribe newspaper reports today that the Attorney General?s office increased wages to 142 employees and officers by an average 65% shortly after the Mejia administration lost its re-election bid in May. Most of those rewarded worked in the Santo Domingo office of the Attorney General, although some were assigned to other prosecutors and prison offices in the interior. The Attorney General?s budgetary increases in its payroll included the hiring of new personnel in the past three months of government, costing taxpayers RD$973,621. Some of the increases were especially generous. El Caribe reports the case of one Rafael Javier Ventura, who holds the post of adjunct attorney general. He received a monthly salary raise from RD$36,000 to RD$83,000. Also cited was the case of Israel Antonio Ben Pena, whose wage was increased from RD$10,000 to RD$27,000, and that of Aura Mercedes Atizol, adjunct attorney general for the Environment Ministry in Monte Cristi, whose wage went from RD$5,000 to a whopping RD$51,993.