Dominican Republic senator named in US$94.0M ‘Tucanogate’ scandal

Santo Domingo.- Hermanas Mirabal province senator Luis ReneCanaan Rojas allegedly received a US$94.0 million bribe to secure the votesneeded to approve the loan to buy eight Super Tucano aircraft, made by Embraer.

According to reports from Brazil to the Dominican Republicand the investigation by the Office of the Anticorruption Persecutor (Pepca),Canaan was the person who received from Air Force Col. Carlos Piccini, the moneyprovided by executives of Brazil plane maker Embraer, to ensure the Senate voteto approve the loan with that nation’s State-owned BNDES bank.

Canaan and Piccini made trips to New York City and Brazil togetherto arrange the bribe with Embraer representatives, the Justice Ministry said Thursday.

Brazil officials told Dominican authorities that the US$3.52million bribe given to Senator, and channeled through the company 4D BusinessGroup SA, owned by Daniel Aquino Hernandez and his son Daniel Aquino Mendez,the Pepca said.

Also Saperofa, owned by Samuel Rojas Pereyra, the lawmaker’snephew, and Ferrboc, owned by uncles Santos Perez and Sonia Inmaculada RojasTabar, the senator’s aunt.

The illicit transfers received by the businesses weredelivered by Embraer Representation LLC, a US subsidiary in which took part itsexecutives Eduardo Munhos de Campos, Orlando José Ferrerira Neto, Luiz deAlmeida Acir Padilha Júnior, Albert Phillip Close, Luiz Alberto Lage DaFonseca, Luiz Eduardo Zorzenon Fumagalli, Eduardo Augusto Fernandes Fagundes,Ricardo Marcelo Bester and the lobbyist Elio Moti Sonnenfeld.

The corruption case is Embraer executives in CriminalAction No. 0022500-03.2014.4.02.5101, for in the 7th Federal Criminal Court ofRio de Janeiro, Brazil, and coincides with the facts established so far withthe investigation the Pepca.