2003 – Page 289

In a follow-up article on corruption, El Caribe newspaper tells of the Attorney General of the Dominican Republic reopening a case involving former president Leonel Fernandez. The case in question, which prompted audits to be carried out from August to December of 2000, involves a special account called ?Construction and Reconstruction of Priority Works?. The …

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The young man who invaded the apartment of former President Leonel Fernandez is back in jail. Luis Manuel Diaz de la Rosa, nicknamed Spiderman, was free on bail when he was accused of invading the sixth-floor apartment of a building in the Bella Vista sector and the robbery at knifepoint of a Cartier watch and …

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One woman was killed and another seriously wounded by their respective jealous mates recently, bringing the number of women who have died as a result of conjugal violence to 29 for the year so far. Maria Guerrero (known as Maria Coca Cola), 27, was stabbed in the stomach by her mate Luis Vasquez Coplin, according …

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The close resemblance of the RD$5-coin and the euro has resulted in a new fraudulent currency scam in Europe. Hoy newspaper reports that the Dominican coins have been imported to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, where they are used as payment in place of the euro. The difference, however, is that the 5-peso coin is worth …

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Hoy newspaper reports that the Dominican Olympic Committee offered free meals and lodging in order to secure the seat of the 2003 Pan American Games. The newspaper says that the country thus committed itself to cover what could cost about RD$81 million. Allegations that the Winnipeg Pan Am Committee had received US$35 for lodging and …

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President Hipolito Mejia is exploring various options to diffuse some of the impact the middle classes will suffer with this month?s electric bill. The Listin Diario says that the President will decide today exactly what he can do to avoid subjecting consumers to the 20.5-percent increase planned for electric bills this month. Superintendent of Power …

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The US Consulate has confirmed that the infamous Colonel Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico, the central figure in last year?s multimillion-peso fraud scandal, has had his US visa cancelled, reports Diario Libre. US Consul David Beam issued a letter advising the Director of Migration and all airlines serving the Dominican Republic that Goico is no longer …

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The Hoy and Listin Diario newspapers have somewhat conflicting stories on just what is happening with corruption cases pending in the court system. Hoy headlines that the Attorney General is reactivating the corruption cases, citing a promise made by Attorney General Victor Cespedes that there would be a ?downpour? of case files in the next …

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I. Many counterfeit bills are reported to be circulating in Santiago, mainly in denominations of 100?s and 500?s, but also in 2,000-peso bills. The Association of Retailers in Santiago says that dozens of its members had been tricked over the past few days into accepting the false bills. Ramon Martinez, spokesman for the ACDS, said …

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Both the Listin Diario and the El Caribe papers have lead articles in their economic sections that voice the complaints of the Associacion de Jovenes Empresarios (ANJE) and the Industrial Association of the Dominican Republic in regards as to how long it will take to reduce the commission on money exchange to zero. According to …

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