The explosive photo: Senator denies involvement in Tucanogate

Santo Domingo.- San Cristobal province senator Tommy Galanon Thursday said his trip to Brazil was official as part of an official commission,invited by plane maker Embraer to its factory and denied involvement in the Tucanogatebribery scandal.

In a statement to hoy.com.do, the lawmaker denied havingtraveled to New York were the alleged bribe transpired, in the widening scandalin which former defense minister Rafael Peña Antonio and Air Force Col. Carlos Puccinihave already been indicted.

Galan’s statement comes just one day after the outletpublished a photo of him with also senator Luis Renee Canaan, whose name figuresin the case file released by Brazilian authorities last week.

He said during Hoy’s long history has been characterized bytransparency, truthfulness and objectivity in the handling of the informationprovided to the country.

“We must therefore make the following clarificationsrelated to that article, to leave no room for misunderstanding or confusionabout its content: This trip responded to an invitation made to visit thefactory facilities commercial aircraft company Embraer in the city San José delos Campos,” Galan said,

The lawmaker said in addition to himself in the photo takenduring trip carried out from February 20 to 26, 2011, figure senators CarlosCastillo, Luis Rene Canaan and tthen Civil Aeronautics Board director Jose TomasPerez.