I don’t own planes, I don’t siphon funds: Embattled senator

Santo Domingo.- San Juan province senator Felix Bautista on Thursday denied the siphoning of funds and of being the owner of the Gulfstream jet seized Wednesday at Puerto Plata’s airport by the Justice Ministry.

The lawmaker’s statement comes just one day after Anti-corruption Dept. (Pepca) director Laura Pelletier announced that the plane forms part of the embezzlement and money laundering probe.

"I have not committed the crime of money laundering and we will prove that in court. Mrs. Pelletier knows that the Justice Ministry itself investigated the aircraft and all other allegations in court proceedings, where she participated as Deputy Director," the Senator said in a statement.

He said case file No. 03093 of August 13, 2012, in Clause 167, page 84, states that "in this manner, upon examing all the evidence gathered during the investigation, none of them link Senator Felix Bautista with the transactions of the aircraft in question."