Dominican society forces President to nix bill ‘fosters corruption’

Santo Domingo.- The Executive Branch asked Congress, via the Senate, to retain the paragraph of the Criminal Code on every citizen’s right to file complaints against government officials for offenses in their posts, as well as for cases of human rights violations.

It asks the Constitutional Court to decide whether to retain or exclude the norm and if it complies with the Constitution.

The Executive Branch also stated its concern on whether to maintain the wording in the paragraph of the article at issue, which limits the ability of the public sector’s agencies to seek indictments.

"Experiences in major and important processes have revealed the need to this to be reviewed and to consider whether these entities can participate as a plaintiff. We would therefore suggest that this text be corrected accordingly," says the document sent with observations to the bill that amends several articles of law 76-02, establishing the Criminal Procedural Code.

The decision comes amid growing complaints by civil society on what it considers another ply by lawmakers to seek impunity for themselves and government officials, and warned president Danilo Medina that it would foster corruption.