US, Brazil collaborate in US$93.5M Dominican Republic warplanes scandal

Santo Domingo.- Brazil plane maker EMBRAER,which admitted paying US$3.5 million in bribes to Dominican republic officialsto sell eight Super Tucano warplanes for US$93.5 million, also collaborateswith the Justice Ministry´s investigation, according to a source quoted byoutlet diariolibre.com.

Justice minister Jean Alain Rodriguez on Wednesdaysaid he won’t be pressured regarding the probe, and affirmed that the US andBrazil cooperate fully to leave no loose ends.

Both Embraer and the FBI have providedrelevant information to the Justice Ministry after the US Dept. of Justice foundcriminal liability.

Rodriguez said they’ll take all the timenecessary to widen the investigation and increase obtain more collaborationfrom abroad, "so much so I can tell you that we recently sent to Miami adelegation from the Justice Ministry which held work meetings with the FBI forthe purpose of corroborating the evidence ".

The prosecutor said after former defenseminister Pedro Rafael Peña Antonio; Air Force Col. Carlos Piccini andbusinessmen Daniel Aquino Hernandez and Daniel Aquino Méndez were indicted,there have been several raids which have found important evidence.

From the Catholic church to big business, various sectors of society continueto demand consequences.

"Those responsible for the Tucanos scandalshould be punished regardless of who falls," said Santo Domingo archbishopFrancisco Ozoria yesterday said all

"I think that what we need to do is athorough and serious investigation," said the mogul Joseph L. Corripio.

Senate president Reinaldo Pared said his colleagues hadn’t taken any irregularaction in the Super Tucano affair and every lawmaker should be interrogated ifneed be, starting with himself. “If there was something irregular it wasoutside the Senate.”