Major fraud case pits top prosecutors

Santo Domingo.- Justice minister Francisco Dominguez on Sundayurged Anticorruption (Pepca) prosecutor Laura Guerrero and National Districtprosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso to end their public dispute on theinvestigation for alleged graft targetingformer State Supervisory Engineers Office (OISOE) director Miguel PimentelKareh.

Outlet elcaribe.com.do reports that by phone, Dominguez calledGuerrero and Reynoso, who’ve been both "bickering" in the media as onsocial networks.

Reynoso Earlier this week announced the start investigationagainst Pimentel Kareh over the La Union Insurance fraud case, and warned that ifthe Pepca doesn’t fails to proceed on what’s pending, she’ll assume it, ”becausethere are indications that a crime was committed.”

But Guerrero’s scathing response was surprising. She questionedReynoso’s motives, “because isi the National District prosecutor has evidenceagainst Pimentel Kareh, she must deliver them to the Justice Ministry whichconducts the main investigation.”

"The answer I have on the statements of the Pepca directoris: Laura, I’ve spend 14 years as a prosecutor,during that time, I had never taken a vacation, except the one month maternityleave, I usually work 13 or 14 hours a day. My only aspiration is to do my job.Too bad the cases of the powerful give you amnesia,” Reynoso tweeted in responseon Saturday.

Anticorruption watchdog backs Reynoso

Justice and Transparency Foundation (FJT) president TrajanoPotentini on Sunday said the clashe between the two prosecutors harms the fightagainst corruption.

"It’s very unfortunate what’s being staged at thelevel of prosecutors. That hurts even to the image of that segment and the fightagainst corruption. what We do we understand is that they must let YeniBerenice work," said Potentini.

He said since Reynoso is handling the Peravia bank fraud caseand if she deems Pimentel Kareh’s possible indictment necessary, “we shouldgive her the support necessary to carry out the investigative process.”