Banana project resignation: Dominican Govt. scandal-do-jour

Santiago.- The resignationof the general manager of the vast State-owned La Cruz de Manzanillo agro projectis poised to become the scandal-du-jour of government of the Dominican Republic,whose president Danilo Medina has already discarded investigating corruption byprevious administrations.

Ramon Emilio Fondeur´s resignationwas revealed on Saturday but has yet to be disclosed officially, according to asource quoted by elcaribe.com.do.

However the source saiddebts in the millions are behind the official´s resignation, and that he left hisoffice today Monday. It said the production manager of the project –one of thebiggest banana plantations in the Caribbean- also resigned from La Cruz deManzanillo, which belongs to the President Administrative Ministry.

"Mr. Fondeur is trappedin numerous difficulties because despite having received more than one billionpesos, there´s currently no way to deal with the payment of its obligations tothe Agricola bank and other financial institutions, as well as cover the costsof current operations and payroll," said the outlet.

The source added that millionpesos are owed for work performed by owners of equipment, as well as fuel andfood. "It´s apparently a disproportionate management of the investment,lack of planning, payroll altered, wasteful spending, incorporating new areasof investment without a plan, failure to create a reserve fund forcontingencies. In the end, it´s a real administrative morass."