Unusual ruling lands politico in jail

Santo Domingo.- In an unusual ruling handed down Monday night by National District Permanent Attention judge Ariella Soriano, pro-government PRSC party senior leader José del Carmen Cruz was remanded to 3-month pretrial detention at La Victoria prison, charged with forging labels on medicines sold across the country.

Cruz had been arrested Wednesday during a raid of a warehouse he owns, where drug labels and other items were seized, after an investigation conducted by the National District Office of the Prosecutor’s Intellectual Property unit.

The arrest warrant for the accused was issued once the Public Health Ministry confirmed the reports that expiration dates on medications were being changed.

The country’s justice system is notoriously known for failing to incarcerate senior politicians regardless of the severity of their crimes.