SANTO DOMINGO- In an event that the head of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca), Wilson Camacho, described as "astonishing", ten of the defendants in Operation Calamar admitted their guilt yesterday, Friday, before Judge Kenya Romero, during the hearing on coercive measures.
"We must confess that what has happened today in court is simply astonishing, and it is so for three reasons: firstly, ten of the 20 defendants have admitted the facts before the court, which constitutes 50% of the defendants," Camacho told reporters.
He indicated that these admissions are a direct consequence of the strength of the investigation and the fact that the defense acted intelligently, realizing that the "evidence of the Public Prosecutor's Office is irrefutable."
Secondly, it understands that the admissions "corroborate each and every one of the lines presented by the Public Prosecutor's Office in this process.".
Thirdly, Camacho added that the way the defendants described to the court how the network discovered through Operation Calamar operated revealed more than the prosecution expected, indicating that they operated like a mafia.
Ten other defendants will have the opportunity to testify tomorrow, Sunday, April 2, in the continuation of the hearing, which was recessed yesterday by the magistrate.
With the acceptance of guilt, the request for preventive detention can be changed to a less serious measure, such as house arrest, placement of an electronic ankle monitor and an economic guarantee.
This Friday, the following defendants admitted their guilt in the alleged corruption scheme against the Dominican State called Calamar: Ángel Lockward, Santiago Moquete, Alejandro Constanzo Sosa, Marcial Reyes, Ana Linda Fernández, Emil José Fernández, Óscar Chalas, Rafael Parmenio Rodríguez, Agustín Mejía and Víctor Matías Encarnación.
Angel Lockward
The lawyer Ángel Lockward and Agustín Mejía Ávila are accused of intimidating members of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Comptroller's Office and attacking the Special Investigation Report on payments and releases prepared, for public debt due to expropriation and simulation of the purchase and sale of state land, and obtaining the illegal payment of the sums pending delivery to the alleged corruption structure.
Lockward is also on the list of names of people who allegedly, through the Ministry of Finance, carried out illegal public debt processes to divert billions of pesos from the State's assets and benefit personally, while also obtaining illicit funds during the 2019-2020 period to finance the political campaign of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), and with this act incurring in money laundering and illicit campaign financing, among other crimes.
Santiago Moquete
This man allegedly conspired with Ramón David Hernández and Yajaira Encarnación Brito, who are under investigation, to fraudulently transform the companies Finca de Recreo Villa Mella, SA and Desarrollos Rurales SA, transferring them into his own name. He is also accused of providing the alleged criminal organization with RD$296,637,125.29 through credit assignments signed at the office of Ángel Lockward, who is also under investigation.
Constanzo Sosa
The Public Prosecutor's Office says this man received improper payments as a result of the irregular authorization of payments without complying with legal formalities. They explained that he unjustifiably enriched himself by using criminal maneuvers and operations as cover, which were jointly authorized by the former Minister of Finance, the former Comptroller General, and the highest authorities of the State Sugar Council (CEA) and the General Directorate of National Assets.
Marcial Reyes
According to prosecutors, Marcial Reyes associated with the alleged corruption structure to defraud the Dominican State, claiming payment for a portion of land of the Las Américas International Airport (AILA), claiming to represent deceased persons, falsifying and using false documents, to transfer in their name, without having the capacity or power of representation, millions of dollars of public money in favor of Donald Guerrero.
Fernández De Paola
These brothers are accused of criminal conspiracy, posing as the legitimate heirs of a deceased person, falsifying public and private documents, and using these falsified documents to claim and receive payments, defrauding the Dominican State. With the money received, they acquired movable and immovable property, engaging in money laundering.
Chalas Guerrero
The Public Prosecutor's Office asserted that this defendant and Julián Omar Fernández Figueroa, former directors of Casino, actively participated in "The Program or The Project," which consisted of the illegal collection of a monthly fee from lottery and sports betting shops and corner stores that had slot machines, in coordination with senior management of the Ministry of Finance.
Rodríguez Bisonó
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, businessman Rafael Parmenio Rodríguez Bisonó financed the so-called "Program" or "Project" with RD$21,000,000. This scheme involved the illegal collection of monthly fees from lottery outlets, sports betting shops, and small grocery stores with slot machines, in coordination with the top management of the Ministry of Finance, headed by Donald Guerrero. He received a considerable amount of money as a result of this operation.
Encarnación Montero
The former technical director of the Office of State Works Supervising Engineers (OISOE) is accused of participating in a coalition with officials Donald Guerrero, José Ramón Peralta, Princesa Alexandra García and Omar Caamaño Santana, among others.
The hearing continues tomorrow at nine
Judge Kenya Romero, of the Permanent Attention Office of the National District, recessed the hearing for the coercive measure against the defendants in Operation Calamar until tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., after the public prosecutor concluded the reading of the file and 10 of those involved testified before the court and admitted the acts committed and agreed to collaborate with the authorities.
Defendants who have yet to testify
Tomorrow, Daniel Omar Caamaño Santana, former Comptroller of the Republic; Luis Miguel Piccirillo McCabe, who was the executive director of the State Sugar Council (CEA); Claudio Silver Peña Peña, who served as director of the National Cadastre; Aldo Antonio Gerbasi Fernández, advisor to the former Minister of Finance; and Princesa Alexandra García Medina, former director of Administrative Debt Recognition at the Ministry of Finance, will have their turn to testify before the court.
Also appearing before Judge Romero will be Andrés Guerrero, former comptroller of the Banco de Reservas; Ramón David Hernández, Yajaira Brito Encarnación and Marcial Humberto Mejía Guerrero.
As well as the former ministers and three main people involved, Gonzalo Castillo, former presidential candidate and head of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications; Donald Guerrero, former head of the Ministry of Finance; and José Ramón Peralta, former Administrative Minister of the Presidency during the presidency of Danilo Medina.
Those charged in the case of alleged administrative corruption have been detained since the night of Saturday, March 18, and the early morning of Sunday, March 19, when the raids and arrests began in three districts of the country.
