Dominican diplomat in UN scandal, déjà vu all over again

Santo Domingo.- The ForeignAffairs Ministry on Wednesday said it suspened without pay Francis Lorenzo, “adjunct”ambassador to the Dominican Republic to the UN, jus hors after he and fiveother people were arrested in a multimillion dollar corruption case in the US.

Lorenzo, arrestedtogether with former UN General Assembly president John Ashe, and four others,was appointed during the second term of former president Leonel Fernande.

The suspended diplomat’stitle of “adjunct” is given to those officials designated as political favors,known as a “botella” (bottle), for getting paid without doing any work.

It´s Dominican Republic´ssecond major corruption case involving an “adjunct” ambassador to the UN, thefirst being doctor Pedro Rafael González Pantaleón, who served time from a Medicarefraud conviction.

Foreign Ministryspokesman Miguel Medina said the case against Lorenzo, charged by the USAttorney for the New York Southern District, doesn’t legally bind the Dominicangovernment.

"This ministryregrets the situation involving the Dominican diplomat at the UN, who since appointedon September 3, 2004 at the Permanent Mission had served in various roles withthe multilateral organization."