There would be 17 agreements based on opportunity criteria, most of them with people who are not part of the accusation.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office will submit to the Fourth Court of Instruction another 9 agreements of opportunity for their approval, which would bring to 17 the number of individuals who, although not listed as defendants in the Calamar case, have admitted their participation in the corruption network and will contribute with their testimonies to the trial and subsequent conviction of the 46 defendants.
These new agreements involve Angel Lockward, Santiago Moquete, Alejandro Constanzo Sosa, Marcial Reyes, Ana Linda Fernandez, Emil Jose Fernandez, Oscar Arturo Chalas Guerrero, Rafael Parmenio Rodriguez Bisono and Agustin Mejia Avila.
Similar agreements with Ramón Emilio Jiménez Collie (Mimilo), Fernando Crisóstomos Herrera, José Arturo Ureña Pérez, Bolívar Antonio Ventura Rodríguez, Natalia Cesarina Beltré Torres; Belkis Antonia Tejeda and the Dibefe Group, and Víctor Matías Encarnación Montero, former technical director of the Office of Supervising Engineers of State Works (OISOE), have already been confirmed by the court, putting the group that has decided to confront the MP in court at a disadvantage.
They play “everything for everything”
Perhaps hopeful about the direction that other high-profile cases of administrative corruption have recently taken, all the former officials accused in the Calamar case remain firm in their defense of the facts charged to them by the prosecution body.
They are the former finance ministers, Donald Guerreroand Administrative of the Presidency, Jose Ramon Peraltawho according to the MP would have implemented the contractor program through which fictitious cubications and expropriations were illegally paid; and Gonzalo Castillowho reportedly received RD$1.23 billion for his campaign as a PLD presidential candidate in 2020.
Also in the case are Daniel Omar Caamaño, former Comptroller General of the Republic; Luis Miguel Picciriloformer director of CEA; Claudio Silver Peñaformer director of the National Cadastre; Julian Omar Fernandez, former director of Casinos and Gambling; the former senator Rafael Calderonand the other individuals and companies that complete the list of 46 accused.
One year and five months after their arrest in the early hours of March 18, 2023, Guerrero, Peralta and Castillo are preparing to face the charge.
first failed hearing
The preliminary hearing of the case was scheduled to begin on June 16, but due to a series of incidents raised by the defense and the plaintiffs, and a medical leave submitted by one party, it was postponed until today at 9:00 in the morning.
Both former officials were in preventive detention in Najayo prison for approximately 8 months until their coercive measures were changed to periodic presentation, prohibition of leaving the country and payment of financial guarantees.
Defenses
The defense council of former Finance Minister Donald Guerrero is made up of Eduardo Núñez, Manuel Rodríguez, Laura Rodríguez, Mario Aguilera and others; the defense council of former administrative minister Peralta is made up of Santiago Rodríguez, Emery Rodríguez, Pedro Balbuena and Chanel Liranzo; and the defense council of Gonzalo Castillo is made up of Laura Acosta and Luis Rivas. The hearing is scheduled for 9:00 in the morning in the Fourth Court of Instruction.
