Brazil: Dominican officials should get US report on Tucanogate probe

Santo Domingo.- Brazil authorities recommend that the JusticeMinistry obtain the confidential report from the United States with the allegedillicit actions of Dominican Air Force Col. Carlos Piccini, who purportedly usedhis military positon in the purchase of Super Tucano warplanes. The officer is chargedwith receiving a US$3.5 million bribe in the scandal which includes legislators.

The information forms part of the more than 2,000 documents–provided to Dominican authorities- on the criminal investigation against planemanufacturer Embraer in Brazil, which names Dominican government officials andmilitary, lawmakers and businessmen.

Newspaper Hoy reports that that confidential documents on theUS probe weren’t included in the file sent to Dominican officials in February,because given their nature, Brazilian authorities couldn’t provide them on theirown volition.

It adds that the US will likely withdraw their classified statusto cooperate with the Dominican Republic. "Nonetheless," the lettersays, "for Brazil to proceed, it is desirable that there is a concretemanifestation of the Dominican interest."

If I had been in Brazil … the document adds that since PicciniNuñez practiced "passive corruption and money laundering" in theDominican Republic, Brazilian criminal law wasn’t applicable forextraterritoriality, unless the military was in Brazil.

Senator denies link

Meanwhile Hermanas Mirabal province senator Luis ReneeCanaan on Sunday deniedallegations to the alleged bribe and said he’s the most interested in clearingthings up.

In a statementquoted by Hoy, the ruling PLD party lawmaker said he hasn’t committed any action that defraudsthe trust placed in him. “I’ve been in Congress 14 years, first as deputy andin the last two terms as senator, and my name hasn’t been linked to scandals.”