One arrest, many questions on Dominican Rep. 2,000-peso bill scandal

Santo Domingo.- A moneychanger is being held at the Santo Domingo province Office of the Prosecutor in connection with to circulation of an unspecified amount of RD$2,000 bills, series 2013, which the Central Bank says it didn’t issue.

Tomas Castro, lawyer for the for moneychanger Ciriaco Ventura, from Eastern Santo Domingo, demanded that the Central Bank explain how the bills surfaced, and complained that despite that his client was detained Friday last week, won’t be arraigned until Saturday.

On Thursday morning Justice minister Francisco Dominguez announced the launch of an investigation, but didn’t mention any arrests.

Questions have also been raised on the Central Bank’s failure to comment on the alleged robbery of the bills from a warehouse of the printing company in France.

In a statement, the Central Bank said it will hold a press conference at 5pm today.