Embezzlement probe roils the ruling party

Santo Domingo.- Beleaguered ruling party (PLD) senator Félix Bautista on Wednesday accused the Justice minister Francisco Domínguez of a “cruel” political persecution "just because I declined to support in his aspirations within the Dominican Liberation (PLD) party, first as a Senate candidate and second, presidential and vice-presidential aspirations."

Bautista has allegedly embezzled funds while heading the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office (OISOE), a sort of parallel Public Works Ministry, and also funds for reconstruction in the heels of the Jan. 2010 quake in Haiti.

"This persecution has nothing to do with president Danilo Medina, it’s a personal matter of Domínguez, abusing his status as Prosecutor and I am willing to go to any instance, to submit myself to any scrutiny, as I’ve always done that and that am still waiting," said the lawmaker and close collaborator of former president Leonel Fernandez.

Speaking at the Senate floor, Bautista said reports of liens placed on the realtor company Rofy is "a campaign of the Justice minister Francisco Domínguez" to discredit him as a legislator, noting that the alleged liens are "notifications" by the Justice Ministry.

"After the 2013 electoral campaign against me, the PRD (opposition party) had started a blatant, cruel and visceral campaign that I’ve faced, and in March 2012, asked the then Prosecutor, the Comptroller, the Accounts Chamber and the Codia (engineers guild) to conduct audits over all my assets and properties," he said.

On Tuesday reports of liens emerged, affecting numerous real properties owned by Inmobiliaria Rofi, in which Bautista is a shareholder.

Media frenzy

On Thursday prominent political commentator Dany Alcantara told PLD co-founder and senior leader Franklin Almeyda that the ruling party “is letting scandals get out of hand.”