Questions emerge in withdrawl of US$25M embezzlement case

Santo Domingo.- Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (FINJUS), executive vice president Serbio Tulio Castaños on Monday said the withdrawal of the embezzlement complaint filed in a Florida court by a prominent economist and a lawyer against senator Félix Bautista in the Sun Land case caught the country by surprise.

On Sunday Bautista announced an agreement with Jaime Aristy and José A. Ayuso, who acknowledged receiving documents proving that the lawmaker from San Juan didn’t embezzle US$25 million in the case, which prompted a slander case against them.

Aristy however, quoted by hoy.com.do on the telephone denied that the agreement was a withdrawal, and instead only puts an end to the litigation, but noted a Florida court will ruled on the case this week.

Bautista had filed slander charges in September, 2013, at Miami Dade County 11th Circuit Court, but after one year of litigation, Aristy and Ayuso acknowledged receipt of documents proving that no funds were embezzled.

Castaños asks the two professionals to provide an explanation into the agreement that surprised political and judicial sectors.