Senator ‘embezzled’ US$100M loses round in high Court

Santo Domingo.- The prosecution on Thursday began to list the alleged acts of corruption, embezzlement and related charges against senator Felix Bautista and six codefendants, after Supreme Court the Special Instruction judge Alejandro Moscoso ruled for the State.

Assistant prosecutor Carlos Castillo claimed that Bautista was making RD$57,000 at the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office, but by April 2005 had a net worth of over RD$7.0 million, whereas local media have reported that the lawmaker allegedly embezzled more than US$100.0 million

He admitted however that the accusation has material errors in its content.

Castillo’s admission of mistakes prompted defense lawyer Juan Antonio Delgado to claim that although the engineer Alberto Holguín figures in paragraph 42 of the indictment together with the other defendants, he doesn’t appear in the prosecution’s list of accused.

Moscoso retired to chambers deliberate on the defense motion for alleged violation of procedural rule committed by the prosecution.