SANTO DOMINGO- A Santo Domingo Oeste Investigating Judge issued an order to open a trial against the main defendants of the fraudulent network dismantled with Operation Owl and that committed a RD$2.5 billion scam through the Herrera Savings and Credit Cooperative (Coop-Herrera).
The court ordered the sending to trial of the accused Jorge Eligio Méndez, Gabriel Santana Borsilea, Jacer Eliazar Mejía Pereyra, Julio César Minaya Mejía, Simona Borsilea Juan, as well as Emanuel Pozo Borsilea, Cristóbal Mariano, Juan Julián Bryan Richardson and Carina Elizabet García de la Rosa.
Also, to the companies Inmobiliaria Villa Pastoral 21 SRL, ByT Diseños y Construcciones SRL, Conspebo RD SRL, Comercial Gabriel Santana SRL, Gabriel Santana Auto Import SRL, GSB Music Studio y Productions SRL and GBS Baseball Academy SRL
Maybe you’re interested: Preventive detention for former Baní officer accused of reconstructing false reports
In favor of the defendants Kenia del Carmen Liriano Pérez and Ana Cecilia Tejada Santos de Álvarez, the court issued an order of no favor. The Public Ministry pursues Pedro Eligio Bonilla, declared in absentia.
Prosecutor Ramón de la Rosa represented the Public Ministry at the hearing in which Judge Joan Rodríguez, of the Sixth Court of Instruction, admitted the accusation and excluded the five alternative accusations presented by several victims.
Also, he announced his decision on several incidents presented by the defenses and plaintiffs. In that sense, he rejected the charges against Coop-Herrera and the Cooperative Development and Credit Institute (Idecoop).
In addition, it excluded the accusation presented by a private victim against Franco de los Santos and excluded him as a defendant in the file.
Regarding an incident raised by the defense of the accused Jacer Eliazar Mejía Pereyra, the judge rejected it and ordered it to be sent to trial by establishing the correct action of the Public Ministry.
With the fraud, the criminal structure affected 366 victims, the prosecuting body indicates in the file.
The Public Ministry supported the accusation with hundreds of pieces of material, expert, testimonial and documentary evidence, including reports from the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII) and the National Directorate of Title Registration.
The prosecution body launched Operation Owl on October 4, 2023, the product of an investigation lasting several months, which led to the arrest of the directors of the Herrera Savings and Credit Cooperative (Coop-Herrera) involved in the fraud.
The operation mobilized more than 20 prosecutors, around 100 police officers and a dozen special team agents. The Cooperative Development and Credit Institute (Idecoop) and several people filed complaints against Coop-Herrera executives.
During the operation, the Public Ministry occupied buildings, boats, vehicles and other luxurious properties, pursuant to a judicial order authorized by a court.
The defendants simulated loans, issued inorganic financial certificates, among other criminal manifestations, all with the aim of diverting money from members and savers.
Operation Owl is the result of joint investigative work carried out for months by the General Directorate of Persecution of the Public Ministry, the Financial Investigation Unit and the Santo Domingo Oeste Prosecutor’s Office.
