DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – There has been some turmoil in the Dominican Republic earlier this week as on Wednesday, the Dominican Republic’s Public Ministry formally accused 48 members of a corruption network led by Generals Adan Caceres and Juan Carlos Torres.
There is always corruption in the governments all over the world but this was a huge scale and there was a lot of problems caused because of it. There have been allegations over the years and it has become more and more in the recent times as people are no longer blindly trusting officials.
The accusation is based on over 3,500 pieces of evidence and more than 4,000 testimonials,” prosecutor Mirna Ortiz said after entering the file on the “Coral” case.
The defendants are being prosecuted for defrauding nearly US$72 million from the State and acquiring goods for US$36 million using resources stolen from various public institutions.
The network operated mainly in the Presidential Security Corps (CUSEP), which Caceres directed, and in the Specialized Tourist Security Corps (CESTUR), in charge of Torres.
According to the investigations, these institutions included in their payrolls people who did not provide service but received a salary, which actually ended up in the hands of the high command.
Prosecutor Ortiz also stated that the corruption network also obtained illicit resources from the National Council for Children and Adolescents (Conani), an institution that was directed between April and August 2020 by Greybby Cuello, wife of General Torres.
In Nov. 2021, the authorities ordered the preventive detention of General Torres and General Caceres, who was head of security for President Danilo Medina (2012-2020).
The Coral case defendants also face charges of criminal association, coalition of officials, falsification of public documents, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms.
