Legal quagmire swamps embezzlement case against embattled Senator

Santo Domingo.- Supreme Court judge Frank Soto on Tuesday ruled against a prosecution’s motion to freeze funds, confiscate properties, an aircraft, radio and / or TV frequencies allegedly owned by ruling PLD party senator Felix Bautista.

Soto, who was also designated Special Instruction Judge to hear Justice minister Francisco Dominguez’s request to refer the case to Supreme Court judge Alejandro Moscoso, who in turn was asked by the prosecution to order a trial against the Senator and six co-accused.

Soto ruled that since Moscoso will hear the request for trial against the San Juan de la Maguana Province (west) lawmaker and six others, the former himself should decide on the prosecution’s request for an injunction.

Soto was to rule on Dominguez’s request on November 14 to Supreme Court chief justice Mariano German, to arraign Bautista, Soraida Antonia Abreu Martínez, José Elías Hernández García, Bolívar Antonio Ventura Rodríguez, Carlos Manuel Ozoria Martínez, Gricel Aracelis Soler Pimentel and Bienvenido Apolinar Bretón Medina.