Santo Domingo.- The company Sparkles Management Services, Ltd., of the Austria-based hotels group Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, said it owns the Gulfstream jet seized by authorities in Puerto Plata Airport on Thursday, and that it acquired it legally.
The authorities say the aircraft belongs to senator Felix Bautista, who allegedly sought to hide it from investigators in the embezzlement case against him.
The company said they acquired the Gulfstream G-1159 in 2013, with all the formalities stipulated in Dominican law.
In a statement issued Thursday night the tour company said the plane has an American registry since during its most recent maintenance in a city in Florida they requested a change of registry from aeronautics authorities, so it complies with U.S. aviation norms and include some symbols relating to the business group and the married couple who presides it.
It said they learned of its confiscation and the accusation of irregularity through online media and not from the authorities. "With the transparency that characterizes us, we placed at the disposal of the authorities any information required of us to clarify any misunderstanding and have contracted a reputed law firm for that purpose."