Santo Domingo.- Each deputy received an additional RD$926,000 in bonuses, money in cash and boxes of food items and beverages last December, in addition to 500 toys.
The “perks” to the deputies which accepted them totaled RD$169.4 million.
According to a letter issued by the Chamber of Deputies’ Free Access to Public Information Office, in response to a request by investigative journalist Alicia Ortega, RD$250,000 were transferred to those deputies’ bank accounts, aside from RD$430,000 in bonuses.
They also received around RD$246,000 food items and alcoholic beverages.
Annexed to the package of letters requesting the transfers of the money is a note dated December 5, 2011, stating that the deputies Guadalupe Valdez, of the ruling PLD party Hugo Tolentino Dipp and Juan Hubieres of the opposition PRD, as well as Pelegrín Castillo, of the pro-government FNP didn’t sign.
But a subsequent letter of December 19 shows that Hubieres signed a receipt for the RD$250,000 and another to receive the RD$430,000 in bonuses.