Court ruling reveals Dominican leader’s fear of firing officials

Santo Domingo.- An appellate court on Monday upheld the ruling that acquits journalist Marino Zapete of slander, on charges filed by Pedro Corporán, head of the government’s cooperatives overseer, IDECOOP.

It’s the third time a court rules for the journalist, the co-host with Edith Febles in "Despertador," of SIN, on Channel 9.

“Today’s ruling not only confirms the validity of all statements and rebuttals, it states very clearly that ruling otherwise would undermine journalists’ right to report on those people who manage public funds," Zapete said.

“War without quarter”

Corporan, whose tenure in IDECOOP has been the target of questions, threatened to wage a “war without quarter on sadistic journalism. Fernando Hasbun should be submitted to a test for doping,” the official said, in reference to the director of SIN news service.

Zapete also accused the administration of president Danilo Medina of allowing the “procreation” of the threats against the media. “The government acts a fool,” despite Corporan’s threats of “consummating justice outside the court.”

“Until when will the government allow an official to use his staff to accuse journalists like (Alicia) Ortega and Hasbun of being drug addicts” he said, adding that Corporan even told him that “I know where your children play basketball.”

Precedent

In another similar scandal, Medina allowed the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office to violate the law by building a pedestrian walk from a university to the shore of the Caribbean, despite its status as a protected area.