Santo Domingo. – Political and economic sectors seek Johanna Isabel Reyes’ “jump” from her post as La Vega District Prosecutor, where the transparent manner in which she has handled the region’s cases has apparently affect those interests, news source elnuevodiario.com.do reports.
Elnuevodiario.com.do reports that even when the zone’s judicial sectors call Reyes one of the country’s most serious prosecutors, Dominican Bar Association (ADOMA) vice president Juan Manuel Morel asked president Leonel Fernandez to fire or transfer her.
The newspaper said its investigation of La Vega’s Prosecutor found her to be an honest and responsible person, unfettered by political ties, and who reached the post via a public contest. “From the post Reyes broke with the irregular practices on which justice had been conducted in the zone, situation which has affected lawyers and powerful sectors, which would be to influence the chief executive and remove her from the post or transfer her out of the place, because they refuse to accept those positive changes in justice.”
Reyes is also is mentioned in a WikiLeaks cable of the U.S. Embassy in 2009 signed by Christopher Lambert, which hails the judicial system’s advances and cites the La Vega Prosecutor: “Fortification of the Justice Ministry 5. (u) In October, Yeni Berenice Reynoso was named the first woman District Attorney to head the Santiago district (Second city of Dominican Republic). This was followed by the selection of another woman as District Attorney in the city of La Vega. Both are 27 years of age, for which they are among the youngest prosecutors. These women are from a judicial career; their designations show that Dominican Republic is starting to fill the highest positions with professionals, instead of being used as political posts.”