Tucanogate: judge releases the general, jails the colonel

Santo Domingo.- A National District judge on Wednesday ruledto release former Armed Forces minister Rafael Peña Antonio, charged with briberyin the purchase of eight Super Tucano aircraft. He’s also barred from leavingthe country

Permanent Attention judge Jose Alejandro Vargas also sent codefendantAir Force Col. Carlos Piccini to three months of pretrial detention in Najayoprison.

The court ordered the also codefendants, the businessmenDaniel Aquino Méndez, and his son Daniel Aquino Hernandez to wear electronicbracelets, regular appearances at the office of the prosecutor, and are also barred from leaving the country.

In his ruling, Vargas also declared the Super Tucano thecase complex, which gives Anticorruption prosecutor Laura Guerrero more time toconduct the investigation.