French MP helped pilots flee Dominican Republic ´beach to beach´

Santo Domingo.-Dominican deputy attorney general Bolivar Sanchez on Thursday said French lawmakerAymeric Chauprade paid the hotel which hosted the French pilots convicted of drugtrafficking in Dominican Republic before fleeing the country.

The lead investigatorof the "Air Cocaine" case told reporters that Chauprade abandoned Dominicansoil two days after the cloak-and-dagger escape.

Prosecutor reportedlyobtained a video showing the meeting between pilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odoswith Chauprade, of the far-right National Front Party, who, according to Frenchmedia, has admitted taking part in hatching the escape plan.

Sanchez said the pilotsleft the country October 18 after spending three days in a hotel withChauprade, who paid with his credit card. "They went from beach to beachand from hotel to hotel."