Peravia bank fraud: Venezuelan pilots ‘tried to steal’ plane in court today

Santo Domingo.- A Santo Domingo province court today Tuesday will hear a request for pretrial detention against four Venezuelan pilots and two Dominican mechanics charged with trying to steal a plane impounded at Higüero Airport, allegedly owned by failed Peravia bank executive José Luis Santoro.

The Permanent Assistance Court on Monday reset the arraignment for 9am today at the request of prosecutor José Miguel Cabrera, who seeks jail for the pilots Alexander Lira, Victor Daniel Alvarez Rincon, Armando José Gutiérrez Gil and Jorge Luis Barrero Yzghen, and Dominicans technical Yanduel Andrés Cabrera Caraballo and Manuel de Jesus Valdez Jiminián.

The accused, arrested at the Higüero terminal Saturday, are in the holding cells of the Santo Domingo Province Office of the Prosecutor.

The Justice Ministry claims the pilots came from Venezuela to steal the plane.