These are assets and properties seized in corruption cases.
SANTO DOMINGO – The list of assets delivered yesterday by the Attorney General's Office to the National Institute for the Custody and Administration of Seized Assets (INCABIDE) includes 58 apartments; 18 houses; 1 building; 10 farms; 1 hotel; 6 properties; 26 commercial premises; 19 building lots; 4 plots of land; 1 villa; 4 aircraft; and 238 vehicles, including cars of brands such as Lamborghini, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. These assets and properties were seized in corruption cases and have a value of three billion two hundred forty-two million eight hundred eighty-six thousand two hundred fifty-eight pesos and thirty-two cents (RD$3,242,886,258.32) and one million four hundred seventeen thousand six hundred dollars (US$1,417,600.00).
The Directorate of Custody and Administration of Seized Assets of the Public Ministry had under its supervision at least 312 confiscated properties that had sentences ordering confiscation, of which 143 already have property titles and the rest are in the process of issuing a title in favor of the Dominican State, explains a press release from the Attorney General's Office.
The formal handover ceremony was attended by the Attorney General of the Republic, Magistrate Miriam Germán Brito, the Minister of Finance and President of the INCABIDE Council, José Manuel Vicente, the Director General of Ethics and Governmental Integrity, Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch, and the Director of INCABIDE, Manuel Oviedo Estrada.
Eight million two hundred thousand pesos (RD$8,266,910.00) worth of jewelry were also seized and handed over.
The goods and properties handed over were detailed during the ceremony by Court Prosecutor Damia Veloz, director of the Seized Assets Unit of the Public Ministry.
During the handover, Magistrate Germán Brito emphasized that by complying with the provisions of the new Law 60-23 and transferring the assets and real estate to the agency in charge of administering them, the intention of her administration to break unfavorable patterns and act under a new culture of transparency, effectiveness and efficiency in the actions of the Public Ministry is further strengthened.
“For me, it is especially satisfying to know that something that was the product of a crime will end up being used for something like redemption for the marginalized, like a sports field in a neighborhood, having a community house; that has extraordinary value,” Brito said.
He added that the delivery of these assets is a tangible demonstration of the Public Prosecutor's commitment to effective prosecution and the policy that it is not enough to achieve sanctions when guilt is proven, but that the product of criminal actions, that is, the assets, must be confiscated.
The Minister of Finance and President of the INCABIDE Council, José Manuel Vicente, described the action as a step forward towards transparency, as well as the proper management and administration of these assets that will be used for the benefit of the population through the allocation of the General State Budget.
“These assets, fundamentally, after the confiscation process and the prosecution of the crime carried out by the Attorney General's Office, the purpose of these assets is established by law, which is the public auction,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Director General of Ethics and Governmental Integrity, explained that these assets all belonged to the State and were taken from specific service plans.
“That is a very serious crime, for a person to take advantage of everyone's contributions for their own benefit, and that is an abominable crime,” he said, while indicating that this delivery marks the beginning of a cultural shift.
Meanwhile, Manuel Oviedo Estrada, executive director of INCABIDE, announced the general guidelines on the reception process and highlighted that the delivery marks a milestone in the Dominican State and compliance with the law.
“These assets being handed over today were confiscated and will now become public property, because they are being returned to the State,” Oviedo Estrada stated. He also emphasized that “transparency is the cornerstone of any administration.”.
The Public Prosecutor's Office emphasized that it has seized more assets than it has confiscated, and that it works every day to ensure that the strength of its investigations and accusations continues to set precedents in the hemisphere regarding the recovery of public assets.
This first delivery of assets to INCABIDE not only included assets seized from corruption, but also assets seized and confiscated for other crimes related to organized crime such as drug trafficking and money laundering, so the total amount of assets seized is much greater than 3.2 billion pesos.
