Seven off to jail in Peravia US$30M bank fraud

Santo Domingo.- A National District on judge Thursday ordered six months of pretrial detention for Jorge Serret Sugranez, Carlos Serret Sugranez, Yesenia Aponte Serret, Pausides Morales, Nelson Cabral and Army Col. Florentino de Jesus Acosta to in connection with the Peravia bank fraud case.

Permanent Attention judge Jose Alejandro Vargas remanded the men to the prison at San Pedro (east) and Yesenia Serret to the Najayo jail for women.

The judge ruled for the incarceration request by National District prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso, but ordered Madgelen Serret, Yomalys Fernandez and Maria Luisa Guzman to be released on RD$200,000 bond each, on plea bargaining with the prosecution.

The ruling notes a "slew of evidence" by witnesses’ testimony that what transpired in the Peravia Bank had been a “disaster,” where as much as US$30 million was allegedly embezzled.