Dominican Republic prosecutor warns against release in Senator’s case

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic’s top prosecutor on Sunday said to release those charged with embezzling over US$100.0 million from the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office (OISOE) is like telling all officials to "steal because you won’t be punished."

Ruling party senator Felix Bautista and five codefendants face embezzlement and other charges, in the case being hear in the Supreme Court.

Francisco Dominguez said the courts, this time represented by Special Instruction judge Alejandro Moscoso, must see the need to establish penalties in such cases where all Dominican taxpayers’ money has been handled recklessly, while further violating and undermine all constitutional controls and government transparency.

"Judge Alejandro Moscoso should know that his ruling in this case will mark the future of corruption in the Dominican Republic, since the mere possibility of a release despite all the evidence properly obtained in due process, which perfectly showed the operational form of the most organized corruption in our country’s history. It would create a negative effect in transparency required in the action of public officials at every level," Dominguez said.

He said Dominican Republic still can’t talk about strengthening the justice system and the rule of law, while justice isn’t enforced with the same blindfold against white collar crime because in his view, it’s one of the most serious crimes, which directly cuts the right of citizens to see their money go to the Treasury.