Ousted La Romana mayor surrenders after preventing arrest(Update)

Santo Domingo.- "Tony"Adames arrived at the Justice Ministry to surrender, at 1pm Friday.

File.- Once a court issued the order to incarcerate him, La Romana’s suspended mayor Juan Antonio (Tony) Adames fled and his whereabouts have yet to be determined, Justice minister Francisco Domínguez confirmed Friday.

He said when bailiffs went to Adames’ residence to execute the arrest warrant issued Thursday night, they were told he had left.

Dominguez, talking to reporters during an activity at the Santo Domingo State University (UASD), called on Adames to surrender and avert more serious charges, adding that despite several searches the agents have yet to locate him.

The ousted Mayor also failed to appear at the San Pedro de Macorís courthouse for a Friday morning hearing in his case.

It’s ‘political’

Ramon R. Genao deputy, of the pro-government PRSC party to which Adames also belongs, called the prosecution “political and selective,” affirming that the Justice Ministry “treats this case differently from those involving officials of this and the past administrations linked to corruption.”