Medina boots Trade Minister jailed in scandal

Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina on Friday accepted the resignation of Temístocles Montás as minister of Industry Commerce and appointed Nelson Toca Simó to occupy the post.

Executive order 210-17 dismisses Montás, a member of Dominican Republic’s ruling party (PLD) highest echelon, the Political Committee.

The now former official is the only sitting Minister to be jailed in the country’s modern history, which resulted from the Odebrecht corruption scandal.

Montás was indicted on charges of taking Odebrecht’s admitted US$92.0 million in bribes in the country.

Special Instruction judge Francisco Ortega on Wed. 7 ruled pretrial detention for Montas and seven of the 14 indicted in the case.