Santo Domingo.- The Chamber of Deputies abruptly adjourned Monday’s session when ruling PLD party lawmaker Juan Quiñones denounced that his colleagues were offered money to approve a sale of more than 1,430 hectares of government land located in Monte Plata province (east).

Opposition PRD party caucus spokesman Jose Leonel Cabrera rebuked Quiñones’ claim and instructed his party’s deputies to abandon the floor until the Puerto Plata lawmaker retracts the denunciation or identify which legislator(s) were offered money for the approval.

The companies involved in the contract are the State owned Haina River sugar mill, and Gestiones Rodajes S.A. and/or Salomón Rizek Yabaly, who would buy the 14.3 million square meters for RD$36.5 million with a term of 20 years and a RD$10 million down payment.

Chamber president Julio Cesar Valentin instructed its Ethics Commission to investigate the denunciation and to submit it to the Justice Ministry’s Anticorruption Department (DPCA).

Several legislators reportedly felt “offended” by Quiñones’ charges.