Prosecution appeals ruling for official charged with embezzling US$3.8M

Santo Domingo.- The Justice Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Dept. on Monday appealed the ruling to acquit former National Assets director Elias Wessin Chavez, on insufficient evidence on the charge he embezzled RD$157.0 million (US$3.8 million) from that government agency.

Prosecutor Laura Guerrero, the special attorney in the case, filed the appeal on the ruling by National District 7th Court judge Kenya Romero.

She said in the case of Wessin and codefendants Jose Jacobo de León Garrido and Elvin Morban Leonor Arias, charged with embezzling RD$157 million, several legal provisions weren’t correctly applied and in her view, led the judge to a mistaken conclusion.

Guerrero requested a criminal trial against Wessin and codefendants, citing evidence including an audit and documents, adding that they weren’t properly examined during the proceeding.