SANTO DOMINGO.-Mérido Torres de Jesús Espinal, director of the State Land Titling Technical Unit (Utect), who appears in the file of coercive measures against those involved in the Calamar case as the "alleged owner" of a plot of land for which he received RD$32,065,992.00, described as slander the rumor that he would resign from his position.
The official, who spoke via telephone on the program “El Sol de la Mañana”, explained that there is a smear campaign against him both within and outside the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM).
“I must tell you that I am neither resigning nor am I going to ask for a leave of absence, nor has anyone from the government asked me to leave my post,” he said, explaining that he missed the delivery of titles in the municipality of Tamayo, headed by President Luis Abinader on Tuesday, because he had a flu-like illness that he thought was Covid.
“There is no way that a campaign has been waged against us because I said at one point that I would aspire to the mayoralty of the municipality of Santo Domingo Este. That fact has driven many people crazy and turned them against me. This is a media campaign, and I will file legal complaints in due course,” he said.
“I don’t care about their position, I don’t care about their politics, honor is priceless,” he added, while indicating that he is preparing to take them to court.
The director of Utec also stated that when information came out in some of the documents of the Calamar case last year, that he had charged for the land, he made himself available to the Public Prosecutor's Office and understood that this body began its investigation.
“At no time have they called me, at no time have I appeared, at no time have I been summoned, and the Public Prosecutor's Office presents the request for coercive measures and we do not appear as defendants,” he indicated while assuring that he was willing to submit to the scrutiny of the authorities.
He explained that as a lawyer he once sued the State on behalf of a family.
“In my particular case, I received the fees for a judgment because I won the case. I have never participated in any network, nor do I have any reason to. I have been extremely successful in my professional life and as a public servant… you know that in this government we are carrying out one of the best jobs a public servant can do,” he concluded.
