Anti-corruption campaigners to fight Bautista decision

Santo Domingo.- Citizens AgainstCorruption and the Dominican Anti-Corruption Alliance (ADOCCO), two of the fourorganizations that had submitted complaints against senator Félix Bautista foralleged corrupt activities, plan to file an appeal against the decision to shelve the casefileby the National Directorate for the Prevention of Administrative Corruption(DPCA).

Reemberto Pichardo of CitizensAgainst Corruption and Julio César De la Rosa Tiburcio, coordinator general ofADOCCO, are querying the decision by DPCA director Hotoniel Bonilla, saying that it showed his intention to clear the leading PLD member’s name just one daybefore the handover of power. They say the 89-page casefile was so detailedthat it would not have been possible for the DPCA to have conducted the rigorous investigations onwhich they based their decision to shelve the file, on the grounds ofinsufficient indications of penal infractions.

Citizens Against Corruption willmake an appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice and if necessary theywill take the case to international organizations. The opposition PRD, which also made a formal accusation against Bautista, has yet to announce its reaction to the DPCA decision.