Prosecutor says dirty money ends up in financial intermediaries

Santo Domingo.- National District prosecutor Yeni BereniceReynoso affirmed Friday that financial intermediaries not regulated by thefinancial authorities access funds from acts of corruption and moneylaundering.

"Unfortunately, there’s a lot of concernabout the funds being obtained by the non-regulated sector, especially since italso lends itself to resources from both corruption and money laundering, sinceit isn’t regulated in the system, as doesn’t work with the rule to preventmoney laundering, are received by that route," the official said.

Reynoso reiterated the call for people who’vedeposited money in those entities to withdraw and invest in institutions thatare regulated by the authorities.

"That’s why we are reiterating the callfor people who have their savings, with a lot of effort in the majority ofcases, in the unregulated sector, to approach the office of the Justice Ministerand withdraw their savings, and take them to the entities of their preference,but which are regulated," she said.

The Office of the National Prosecutor Districthas recently obtained criminal indictments on fraud in the intermediaries FinancieraInversia, as well as Financiera y Inmobiliaria Belgar.

Teodoro Hidalgo and his paramour MichellEvertz are being held for the Inversia case, whereas Belgar owner Emilio Beltréwas declared a fugitive since June.