Police Chief: Unfortunate that suspect in contract killing is free

Santo Domingo.- "It’s unfortunate that an individual who’s been sentenced to 30 years for murder, and is also charged with committing other crimes, was released to commit another heinous crime," said National Police chief Manuel Castro Wednesday in reference to the murder of a Public Health Ministry official in front of his niece at a school in the Luperón district Tuesday.

He said the man behind the murder of Francisco Durán, 43, has been identified as Manuel Osiris Quiñones (El Bambino). Duran was shot nine times while he was dropping off his 9 year-old niece at school.

Castro said Duran’s and other murders in recent weeks have been allegedly committed by hired killers, “but that law enforcement agencies have strengthened the mechanisms and measures to counter them.”

Interviewed at police headquarters, the official said Quiñones, who has a pending murder case, ordered the execution of Duran, who was a key prosecution witness against the alleged mastermind.