Dominican leader, ruling party, again at center of major scandal

Santo Domingo.- DominicanRepublic´s ruling PLD party is again at the center of a major scandal, in which375 of its east region provincial and municipal leaders were provided Customstax "facilities" to acquire vehicles valued at around RD$700,000 each.

Diariolibre.comreports that the "facilities," already materialized, sparked protestsamong those who weren’t prized.

PLD MunicipalCommittee president Guadalupe Jaquez, whose Hato Mayor province was given75 taxbreaks, said the vehicles will be for those who can afford them.

“Of the 75 tax breaks,the municipal and provincial leadership of Hato Mayor handed out 35, the rest werehanded out to PLD leaders in the towns of El Valle, Sabana de la Mar and rankand file and intermediary leaders,” the outlet says, quoting Jaquez.

The tax breaks are thelatest scandal of president Danilo Medina´s Administration, mired in questionedmeasures including the allegedly ballooned tenders in the construction of thetwo coal-fired power plants linked to Brazil´s Petrobras-Odebrecht-AndradeGutierrez investigation.