Poll: 76% oppose letting former president Fernandez off the hook

Santo Domingo.- A poll of readers by one of the country’s most prestigious newspapers found that 76% oppose National District prosecutor Yeni B. Reynoso’s decision to definitively discard the charges filed by Dr. Guillermo Moreno against former president Leonel Fernandez, while 24% support it.

Moreno, former minority party Al-Paíz presidential candidate, said he would appeal the Prosecutor’s decision he calls "shameful."

The online version of newspaper El Nacional quotes Reynoso as saying that her decision was based on the fact that Fernández alleged violations aren’t defined in the Criminal Code.

But the nonpartisan movement Citizen Participation, citing Article 80 of the Criminal Procedure Code, criticized Reynoso’s decision, noting that the measure reveals that prosecutors aren’t independent.

"The prosecution, as responsible for the investigation didn’t fully comply with its duty to carry out all relevant measures to determine whether an offense occurred and who would be responsible," the organization said in a statement.

Moreno accused Fernandez of money laundering and corrupt actions as president, to benefit his Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode).