High Court clears Senator of embezzling RD$350M

Santo Domingo.- Supreme Court justice Juan Hirohito Reyes yesterday ruled to acquit senator Amable Aristy on charges he embezzled more than RD$350 million during several years as head of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD).

Reyes, acting as special instruction judge of the high Court, ruled to dismiss the case on grounds that a trial against Aristy would constitute double jeopardy, "based on that they are the same allegations on which the prosecution had initiated a proceeding that it decided to discontinue."

The case against the Senator for eastern La Altagracia province began last year, when he sought to drop the charges of embezzlement as head of the LMD from 2006 to 2009.