High Court to decide on Bahia de las Aguilas fraud case on Wednesday

Santo Domingo.- The Supreme Court on Wednesday will announce whether to indict former Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD) director Jaime Rodriguez Guzman, a brother and his wife, the main defendants in the Bahia de las Aguilas title fraud case.

In the process began in 1997 the accused were sent to trial on June 17, 2003, by then 2nd National District Instruction Court judge Esther Agelán, who is now a Supreme Court Justice.

Acquitted in the case were Puro Pichardo, Vicente Guzmán Tatis, Nelson Oleaga, Marco Marte, Eddy del Orbe, Arelis Colon, Miguel Nelson Fernandez and Arturo Jose Cuello. Also charged was the businessman Moises Marchena, who died in jail.

The group is accused of forging titles for hundreds of hectares of beachfront at Jaragua National Park, Pedernales (southwest), and in Cabarete, Puerto Plata (north).

The 2nd Collegiate Court judges had refused to hear the prosecution’s case citing statute of limitations after more than 15 years, during which the authorities failed to continue the process.