Judge Fátima Veloz, of the Permanent Attention Office of the National District, imposed this Thursday 18 months of preventive detention as a measure of coercion against Hugo Berasformer director of the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (INTRANT); José Ángel Gómez Canaán (Jochi), owner of the company Aurix SAS, and Pedro Padovani, former head of the Traffic Control Center, involved in the Chameleon case.
Furthermore, the judge declared the case complex.
The others involved are: Frank Rafael Atilano Díaz WardenOffice coordinator and representative of Hugo Beras before the Intrant Purchasing Committee; Samuel Gregorio Baquero SepúlvedaDirector of Technology; Juan Francisco Álvarez, Administrative and Financial Director of Intrant. The companies Transcore Latam, Aurix and Inprosol are also charged.
According to the indictment, the defendants are accused of belonging to a corruption and organized crime network dedicated to embezzlement, fraud against the State, forgery, coalition of officials, smuggling, illicit trade, sabotage, terrorism against critical infrastructure and identity theft.
The representatives of the Public Ministry revealed that they have the fraudulent contract for the modernization of the Greater Santo Domingo traffic light system, the illegal contract with the Ministry of Defense and the Aurix company, used to usurp functions of intelligence, security and defense organizations of the State, as well as, with evidence about the sabotage against the traffic light network in the month of August, issues that are objects of the accusation.
Those accused in Operation Camaleón are investigated for conduct typical of what is established in articles 146, numeral 1 of the Constitution of the Dominican Republic (prohibition of corruption); articles 123, 124 (coalition of officials), 147, 150 and 151 of the Dominican Penal Code (use of private document); 171 and 172 (embezzlement), articles 265 and 266 (association of criminals), as well as article 405 (fraud to the detriment of the Dominican State) of the Dominican Penal Code; articles 11, 17, 27, and 28 (sabotage, identity theft, crimes and offenses against the nation, and acts of terrorism), of Law no. 53-07, against High Technology Crimes and Crimes.
As well as, articles 5, 33, 34, 35, 36, (smuggling) of Law no. 17-19 on the Eradication of Illicit Trade, Smuggling and Counterfeiting of Regulated Products; and articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 (Money Laundering) of Law no. 155-17 on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, articles 5, 8 letter F and 26 of Law no. 267-08 on Terrorism, and creates the National Anti-Terrorist Committee and the National Anti-Terrorist Directorate, articles 66, 67 and 69 of Law 631-16, for the Control and Regulation of Weapons, Ammunition and Related Materials, all of this to the detriment of the State Dominican.
Details of Operation Chameleon
During Operation Chameleon, residences and companies were raided in the National District, Santo Domingo Este, San Cristóbal and Punta Cana. Approximately 170 members of the National Police, Special Units and more than 30 specialized prosecutors against organized crime participated in this operation. .
In the raids, hundreds of evidence were seized that confirm the accusations of the Public Ministry. For this reason, the prosecution body has described Operation Chameleon as one of the “most successful” against organized crime.
Likewise, the prosecution body declared that the investigative proceedings continue, which could lead to the incorporation of new defendants and the presentation of new accusations linked to the bribery scheme.
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