Dominican Republic kingpin ‘gave dirty money’ to ex president(Update2)

Santo Domingo.- TV program producer Ivan Ruiz on Thursday affirmed that the alleged phone call by kingpin Quirino Paulino to a radio program in which he demands reimbursement of RD$200.0 million given to former president Leonel Fernandez for a political campaign is genuine.

The host of the Show del Mediodia, on Colorvision Channel 9 said they vetted the call made to radio program Hilando Fino producer Salvador Holguin, but noted that “Quirino’s statements aren’t necessarily true.”

Holguin, interviewed by Ruiz, said “Leonel (Fernandez) has an account with Quirino.”

The revelation comes in the heels of widening rift within senbior leaders of the ruling PLD party, headed by Fernandez, over a possible Constitutional reform to pave the way for Medina to seek reelection.

The row claimed its first political victim Wednesday, when the National Palace announced the firing of Health Sector Reform Commission director Humberto Salazar, a Fernandez collaborator who challenged Presidency Administrative minister Jose Ramon Peralta to clarify whether he’s behind an alleged smear campaign against the former chief executive.

On Thursday Interior and Police minister Jose R. Fadul said the PLD Political Committee will defend Fernandez against the campaign he called a “montage, falsehoods and the most lowlife pettiness.”

Another radio program

Allegedly speaking Thursday in the Z101FM Gobierno de la Mañana radio program Paulino reiterated that he donated money to Fernández’s campaign from 2002 to 2004 and his foundation, FUNGLODE, and that the former leader “was clearly aware that it came from drug trafficking.”

“There’s an investment of mine in Funglode. The power plant was me who donated it. It was bought by Félix Bautista and me,” the drug trafficking convict said, in reference to Senator Felix Bautista, a close collaborator of Fernandez.

From the Z101 radio program with Paulino’s alleged voice

“What day when I shook his hand and without handing him a lot of money in a briefcase, it wasn’t pennies no, it was a lot of money.”

When asked why he was charging former president Leonel Fernandez the money he had donated, Paulino denied that it was a donation. “That was an investment, not a donation.”

“(Jose Miguel) Soto Jimenez’s relatives, names of Soto Hatton, and a colonel, Roberto Jimenez Hatton, I have a personal problem with that colonel, Fernandez fired him, because I told the president that he was blackmailing me. I mentioned the problem to (Manuel de Js.) Florentino Florentino,” in reference to Secretary (Minister) o the Armed Forces during Fernandez’s first term.