For a part of the 27 accused in Operation Anti-Octopusthe Public Ministry has not presented conclusions in the preliminary trial because some defendants are still approaching with interest in reaching a collaboration agreement with the prosecuting body and the arrangements have not been finalized with the four that had already been announced.
Reluctant to reveal who else has approached to collaborate, the Litigation Coordinator of the Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca), Mirna Ortiz, said yesterday that “there may be” more than those that have come to light up to now. She also announced that on Friday they will conclude defining these agreements to present the conclusions regarding those indicated in the State fraud file.
Until yesterday the names of the former general director of the Office of Engineers and Supervisors of State Works (Oisoe), Francisco Pagán; the former Comptroller General of the Republic, Rafael Germosén Andújar, and the former inspector of the Oisoe, Aquiles Christopher Sánchez, who clarified on one occasion that he collaborates in the investigation, but that he would not be a witness against the others involved. The fourth is Julián Suriel Suazo.
Pagán admitted that he acquired goods and money that did not belong to them, for which he proceeded to return them to the State, according to the Public Ministry. Among what was returned by the former official is the amount of RD$10,000,000.00.
With the agreements, the defendants seek a less severe penalty. Last Friday, the Pepca gave the speech concluding the reading of the more than 3,443 pages of the indictment of Operation anti octopus and requested the opening of a substantive trial against those involved. Yesterday, ten of the defendants began presenting their arguments to refute the accusations made by the Public Ministry. In addition to the 27 people charged, there are also 21 companies involved.
