SANTO DOMINGO.- At a time when public opinion has become aware of allegations of malpractice within the government, such as the case of the National Health Insurance (Senasa) where the opposition alleges supposed fraud, President Luis Abinader presented yesterday, Monday, a comprehensive list of "progress achieved to establish a system of accountability in the Dominican Republic and bring to justice anyone "whose actions implicate them in corruption, regardless of who they are or when they occur."
During the weekly press briefing, the president stated that the government is seeking to penalize non-compliance with transparency regulations in all public bodies and entities under the Executive Branch. He noted that, to date, 287 cases of administrative infractions have been referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office, and 49 cases involving current public officials have been brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office . Additionally, RD$6.5 billion has been recovered from public assets, and over RD$130 billion is currently under investigation.
“We can say that we are the first government to have established a system of accountability at all levels. Today we are more resolute than ever in the fight against corruption, in our commitment to ensuring there is no impunity, and in our commitment to respecting public assets,” President Abinader emphasized.
"Through this entity, the government promotes transparent, ethical public management oriented towards the common good , which recognizes the citizen's right to know and the government's duty to inform ," he explained.
According to data provided by the head of state, 230 institutions were evaluated between January and March 2025, of which 211 obtained between 85-100 points, demonstrating a high institutional commitment to transparency.
Abinader explained that for the first time, a government has issued a decree that sanctions non-compliance with transparency (No. 166-25), which will be applied starting in September and establishes the loss of extraordinary benefits and administrative sanctions.
Likewise, through Decree No. 791-21, the former Public Ethics Commissions evolved into Governmental Integrity and Compliance Commissions, which operate from within the institutions.
“More than 8,000 public servants have been trained to prevent malpractice in public procurement, bribery, and corruption risk management. Ninety-six risk matrices to detect potential vulnerabilities to corruption, and work is underway to strengthen the National Public Integrity System with advice from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),” he emphasized.
He said that Digeig also conducted the first study on elected officials, contacting 195 institutions of which 139 responded, and of those, 60 confirmed having officials elected in the municipal elections.
Most common administrative offenses
According to the report presented by President Abinader, between 2020 and 2025, 287 cases were sent to the Ministry of Public Administration for abuse of power, harassment or mistreatment in the workplace, nepotism, and duplication of functions. Additionally, 49 cases were referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office, with an average response time of 55 days, thus shortening the 90-day timeframe stipulated in the manual. Citizen involvement has been key in these processes , as complaints have led to numerous investigations, although not all result in sanctions.
Anti-Fraud Unit
The president highlighted that the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Comptroller General, based on prevention and investigation, carried out, between 2021 and 2024, 368 collaborations with the Attorney General's Office, 31 prevention actions, 20 forensic financial analyses and 72 analyses of complaints.
"Its success is due to the robust database of the parent institution and the synergy with other anti-corruption control and prosecution bodies. With Decree No. 382-25 , it was formalized as a technical preventative mechanism, designed to last over time," he explained.
Attorney General's Office
Regarding the fight against corruption, he pointed out that there is greater independence and capacity to act, which has allowed the DGCP and the Anti-Fraud Unit to process more than 600 requests from the Public Prosecutor's Office. Furthermore, there is effective coordination between the oversight bodies and the Public Prosecutor's Office, ensuring that audit reports translate into concrete legal actions.
"As tangible results, the following cases have been brought to justice, in this and the previous government: Calamar, Intrant: Pago RD, bribes for security issues, agriculture, asphalt, Cestur, Operation 13, Minerd and Inaipi (the latter two under investigation)."
He added that in the area of prevention, corruption has been blocked before it occurs, with preventive monitoring that allowed the supervision of more than RD$853 billion to prevent irregularities before they affect the State.
"More than 517 suspicious procurement processes were canceled or stopped, protecting more than RD$43 billion, and 112,000 alerts to public institutions to curb risky behavior," the president commented.
The report adds that the Regulatory Compliance Program was also implemented in 30 key institutions , covering 85% of the public budget , to improve oversight and accountability in government procurement and to require the review of supplier integrity, with 135 reports to avoid risks.
" Zero-tolerance controls against impunity have facilitated the suspension of 567 suppliers for being legally barred from contracting with the State, while another 144 were disqualified for document fraud and serious violations of the law. More than 618 responses have been issued to oversight entities and 3,900 certifications have been delivered to investigative processes. In addition, 13 cases have been brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office ."
He maintained that this proactive approach is demonstrated by 16 investigations initiated without the need for external complaints, the suspension of 12 proceedings, and the annulment of 35, representing a value exceeding RD$6.5 billion. There is a 93% response rate to claims requests, with 0% administrative silence; an 88% success rate in defense before the Administrative Court; and a 100% success rate in resolving frivolous claims for patrimonial liability.
He emphasized that a robust legal framework was used to promote the Public Procurement Law, with clear sanctions, and to implement Regulation 416-23 to update and strengthen the public procurement system. Preventive monitoring, a code of ethical guidelines, an alert system, and Siscompras were also created .
"Finally, Decree No. 385-25 on the Management of Consumable Goods institutionalizes an efficient and coordinated management model for goods and supplies of recurring use and inventory in the agencies of the Executive Branch. It also strengthens efficiency and transparency in public procurement, making it smart from the purchasing process onward, and guarantees traceability and preventive monitoring throughout the entire life cycle of these goods, from planning to final disposal."
Abinader elaborated that to guarantee a responsible use of public resources, a commitment was made to efficiency, savings and transparency, strengthening the budgetary system as well as containing and rationalizing spending.
