Green March Against Impunity organizers say they are giving President Danilo Medina until the 27 of February 2017 (coinciding with Independence Day) to authorize and empower an independent commission of prosecutors to investigate the bribery scandal involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. The civic group is demanding the judiciary reveal and sanction those who have taken bribes and are responsible for overpricing in government contract work with the Brazilian firm from 2001 to date. The protestors say that the Dominican Republic is a signatory of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (CNUCC) and thus should request independent counsel from the UN to investigate the Odebrecht case. Odebrecht has admitted to paying US$92 million in bribes to Dominican officials.
In the case, so far Angel Rondón, the named commercial representative of Odebrecht in the DR, has admitted to the bribes, but has argued these were legitimate fees for work carried out to secure the contracts.
The Attorney General Office has announced an eight-year agreement was reached with Odebrecht for the later to pay the Dominican state US$184 million in compensation for the bribes, with a first US$30 million payment already received.
The Attorney General Office has said the agreement is totally confidential as authorized by Art. 290 of the Dominican Procedures Penal Code. Nevertheless, as part of the agreement, Odebrecht has committed to provide to the Attorney General all information requested regarding the operations of Odebrecht in the country as company executives had made known to the judiciary in Brazil where the case was first prosecuted.
On Sunday, 5 February 2017, the Green Book organizers began gathering signatures at Independence Park in order to pressure the government to reveal the names of those involved and insist that these individuals be held accountable.
The Green Book with the signatures of petitioners will be delivered to the Presidency on Wednesday, 22 February, as part of Green Book’s National Mobilization to End Impunity campaign.
The organizers argue that Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez is not acting as a prosecutor, but rather as a defender of the political interests of President Medina and the ruling PLD political party.
Green Book organizers expect President Medina to address the organization’s concerns during his state of the nation address to the nation on 27 February that will be broadcast live from the National Assembly.
“We do not accept the institution of corruption that oppresses us and keeps us in poverty,” say the organizers while highlighting the continued impunity. “We demand an independent commission investigate the past three Presidents — Danilo Medina, Leonel Fernandez and Hipolito Mejia, to get to the bottom of government corruption. The Dominican people have decided to rid our nation of these political shenanigans, and during this month honoring our republic, we are reminded of the sacrifices made by Juan Pablo Duarte and Los Trinitarios,” read a document by the organization.
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