Santo Domingo.- The recorded incident showing a nephew of a senior government official who punches and shoves two Metropolitan Transit Authority (AMET) cops has opened a can of worms in Dominican Republic, a country known for rampant cronyism, where relatives of people in high positions get monthly checks without working.
That’s the case of Edward Miguel Villamán Fadul, nephew of Interior and Police minister Jose Ramon Fadul, also a senior member of a wealthy family in Santiago. Villaman reportedly gets paid nearly US$1,000 per month as a “Dominican consular officer” in New York.
According to the General Comptroller’s website, the “consular officer” is in the Foreign Ministry payroll.
At the time of the incident with the agents, Villamán was wearing a National Police cap despite not holding any known position in law enforcement.
Moreover, acento.com.do reports that Villaman obtained a government-built apartment “at a price of a dead cow” in the housing project La Fuente, in Santiago.
Cover-up attempt
The outlet adds that the Senate had removed information on the sale from its website, but not before Acento got access.