SANTIAGO.- The Santiago province Instruction Court ruled to send to prison for eight months the three accused of defrauding the city’s Customs offices out of more than RD$100 million, and declared it a complex case.

Judge Águeda Garcia ruled for the Assistant DA’s request against Miguel Angel Lazala, Gerald Estévez Peña and Adalberto Rosa Rosario, who were taken to the jail in the Courthouse, from where the latter’s father the deputy elect Adalberto Rosa was seen leaving with his head down.

Santiago prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso said the judge’s ruling came after more than 80 documents were submitted as evidence against the accused. “It was a decision based on Law. The judge valued the coherence and strength of the evidence."

Meanwhile Rosa’s lawyer Victor Núñez affirmed they’ll appeal to ruling because in his view it was the result of media pressure, institutional fear, and from the Office of the Prosecutor.

Santiago Permanent Attention judge Thelma Virginia Reyes resumed the proceedings at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, after replacing judge Águeda Garcia, who on Wednesday vacated the bench claiming a relationship with one of the defendant’s relatives, but yesterday the court instructed her to assume her responsibilities and take charge of the case.