Prosecution of senator ‘embezzled’ US$100.0+M will continue

Santo Domingo.- Supreme Court Special Instruction judge Alejandro Moscoso on Thursday ruled to continue the prosecution against ruling party (PLD) senator Felix Bautista and codefendants.

The judge ruled to continue the hearings despite widespread skepticism that the court would order Bautista to stand criminal trial on charges he embezzled more than US$100.0 million while head of the powerful State Works Supervisory Engineers Office (OISOE) during the term of former president Leonel Fernandez.

Moscoso ruled against the second motion for dismissal filed by lawyers for Bautista and six codefendants.

In the hearing last week the lawyers for the Senator from western San Juan province and of codefendants Soraida Abreu, José Elías Hernández, Bolívar Antonio Ventura, Manuel Osoria, Bienvenido Apolinar Breton and Grisel Aracely Soler claimed that the prosecution violated their clients’ right to a defense.

They said the defendants weren’t aware of an investigation against them and weren’t properly subpoenaed, violating the Criminal Procedure Code.

However the prosecution countered and claimed that the same Code provides for discretion to conduct a probe.