Justice Minister moves to prosecute embattled Senator

Santo Domingo.- After two weeks of scathing criticism for apparently seeking to sweep senator Felix Bautista’s alleged corruption case under the rug, Justice Minister asked the Supreme Court to revoke the request to drop the charges against one of former president Leonel Fernandez’s closest collaborators.

Francisco Domínguez made the request in a missive to Supreme Court president Mariano German and the other justices on Friday, Oct. 16. "It’s important that we understand that the healthy administration of the investigation regarding certain assumptions that may be attributed to that gentleman require revocation."

He noted that within a strictly institutional process and for that purpose on Sept. 27 the Justice Ministry asked to cancel the closing of the case against the former head of the State of Works Supervisory Office.

Attorney responds

Batista’s lawyer Abel Rodriguez called Dominguez’s decision an overreach of his jurisdiction because it violates Statute 133-11of the Prosecutor’s Office regarding scope, objectivity, responsibility, unity of action and indivisibility.

The lawyer for the San Juan province Senator added that Article 22 stipulates that "the Justice Ministry is one and indivisible. Its members act as one body and make their decisions on behalf of the Justice Ministry."