Dominican Republic presidential election: “Liar, hypocrite and inept” join “corrupt”

Santo Domingo.- While the Government Thursday called opposition PRD party presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía a liar, a hypocrite and inept, several of his supporters linked to major scandals were “pardoned” during president Leonel Fernandez’s two terms in office.

Investigative journalist Huchi Lora yesterday accused Mejia of being surrounded by “dossiers,” and Friday morning mentioned the cases of Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico, in the Baninter bank scandal, Hector Rodriguez Pimentel, fired form the Dominican Agrarian Institute, and Amable Aristy, whose at least 10 years as head of the Dominican Municipal League were fraught with scandal.

“Mejia is surrounded by dossiers, but when you look close they were pardoned during this term in office,” the journalist said, adding that he made that same statement while interviewing senior PRD leader Emmanuel Esquea.

He also mentioned a close collaborator of Fernandez, San Juan province senator Felix Bautista, currently the center of a scandal in the construction of major works for Haiti’s Government. “When you see the that just one parking building for 1.2 billion pesos, full of structural faults, and his new found wealth, then the Government can’t go about accusing others of being corrupt.”

Lora’s statement referred to allegations by Presidency Chief staff Cesar Pina Toribio and Economy minister Themistocles Montas, who denied Mejía’s accusation before the American Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, that the Government has spent RD$2.0 billion of taxpayers money in ruling party candidate Danilo Medina’s campaign.