Bail set against businessman in Santiago journalists’ assault

Santiago.- A Santiago judicial district judge Friday night set bail at RD$200,000 against a businessman and two other people charged with assaulting a journalist and a cameraman of the local Channel 29, in Navarrete township (north) on May 26.

The ruling comes more than six weeks after incident which drew wide rebuke and critique of Santiago prosecutor Luisa Liranzo, who allegedly failed to act at the onset of the complaint filed by the journalists.

Permanent Attention judge Jasmine de los Santos set bond for businessman Pedro Juan Reyes, his son Dominican Army officer Pedro Juan Reyes Peña, and Danilo Sánchez Minier, who must also appear before the Prosecutor’s Office on the 14th of each month for six months.

The journalist Indira Vásquez and cameraman José Manuel Rodríguez, of Teleuniverso TV were beaten in Navarrete after recording several trucks owned by Reyes senior extracting sand from the Bajabonico River in Puerto Plata province.

In addition to the aggression, both journalists were stripped of their camera and a Smartphone, which have yet to be returned.