Court orders arrest for major electricity theft

Santo Domingo.- The Permanent Attention Court of the National District has ordered the arrest of Javier Francisco Álvarez Valencia, owner of the El Grande ice factory, for allegedly stealing electricity worth RD$47,747,272 from the Eastern Electricity Distribution Company (EDEESTE).

Martha Idalia Florentino, the Coordinating Judge of the PGASE, stated that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction against the plant owner located in the National District. The indictment is supported by experts from the Superintendency of Electricity (SIE).

Additionally, owners of the El Águila and Makumba nightclubs will face prosecution. Rafael Antonio Tapia Calzado and Yesenia del Carmen de Jesús Almánzar, owner and manager of the “Terraza Restaurant El Águila,” respectively, have been formally charged by PGASE for an electrical debt of RD$6,598,389.07. Samuel de Jesús Polanco Cruz and Luis Ernesto Aquino Severino, owners of “Makumba,” are accused of stealing energy valued at RD$3,152,078.57.

Manuel Mejía Naut, General Manager of EDEESTE, emphasized the company’s commitment to using legal mechanisms to prosecute those who harm the electrical system in its concession area.