The indictment in Operation Medusa states that the former official's income "is not sufficient to justify a single one of the properties he owns.".
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) revealed that the former Attorney General of the Republic, Jean Alain Rodríguez, acquired a luxury yacht in 2017 for US$720,000.00 at an exchange rate of 55×1 at that time, which represented a cost of RD$39,600,000.
According to the accusation contained in the Operation Medusa file, the purchase of the ship exceeded the total income of the then state official, during the entire period in which he held his position (2012-2020).
According to the accusation by Pepca, published today by Diario Libre, the Carpe Diem yacht was acquired by Rodríguez through seven transfers to Inversiones Bastilla del Caribe SA, and Inversiones Bastilla Internacional, companies dedicated to the sale of luxury boats in Panama.
The prosecuting body states that the purchase was made through the dollar account of his company Jurinvest, SR,L, which was identified by Pepca as being used "directly" by the bribery network established by Jean Alain in the Attorney General's Office (2016-2020).
The vessel, which was not reported in his asset declarations, was kept hidden by Rodríguez in the Marina Casa de Campo Tourist Project.
The Pepca case against the former official and 63 other defendants in Operation Medusa states that the annual income declared by the defendant during the years 2012-2020 after assuming public office "amounts to a total of RD$27,435,000.00", without including any type of discount for expenses or outlays incurred.
Jean Alain Rodríguez's first public service role was as Executive Director of the Export and Investment Center (CEIRD), from where he later became Attorney General. The indictment in Operation Medusa alleges that the former official's income "is not sufficient to justify a single one of the properties he owns.".
The file describes that in his first sworn statement, in 2012, Rodríguez declared assets of RD$220,586,137, "which was overvalued in order to project the acts of corruption that later generated economic benefits for him.".
Upon leaving the Government in August 2020, he declared "two hundred thirty-seven billion one hundred thirty-nine thousand eight hundred fifty-four pesos with seven cents (RD$237,139,854.07).".
According to Pepca, to launder the money, the product of corruption, Jean Alain "used companies he owned and others he founded while he was a public official, Jurinvest Abogados SRL, Morosos SRL; Cavalieri, Far Niente, among others.".
Source: Diario Libre.
Photo of the Carpe Diem Yacht published by Diario Libre.
