New Supreme Court fires two judges(UPDATE)

Santo Domingo. – The Judicial Branch Council yesterday announced the removal of two judges of Higüey and La Romana provinces for allegedly committing “serious offenses” in their functions.

The now ex judges are Altagracia Sanchez Molina, of the La Romana Judicial District Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Adolfo Oscar Caraballo, of the Higuey Jurisdiction Land Court.

Sanchez Molina was accused of extorting US$6,000 to rule in favor of a British company whereas the statement from the Judicial Branch’s Communications Department doesn’t establish which Caraballo’s “serious offenses” were

The decision announced yesterday, taken on the 24th, is the first firing of judges by the Supreme Court justices inducted on January 6.

Higuey judge

Via sentence 04/2012 Caraballo was accused on failing to recuse himself, handing down two rulings in a litigation between Clara Aurora Pion against the Nisibon Cattle Ranchers Association (AGANI), of which he is a member.

The high Court also accused Caraballo of issuing several resolutions when it had already disqualified him; of changing dates on resolutions and failing to note them in the court ledger; to registering investments of RD$13.3 million in the Central Bank, jointly with his sister and his wife, of having an account in Bank Reservas of more than RD$1.5 million and an unspecified number of heads of cattle, without declaring them in his latest financial statement.