Super Tucano US$3.2M bribe case deadline expires Thur.

Santo Domingo.-  The Justice Ministry makes progress in the effort to file indictments against two military and two civilians charged with taking US$3.2 million in bribes to secure thethe purchase of nine Super Tucano aircraft from Brazilian planemaker, Embraer.

The National District Office of the Prosecutor has until Thursday to file an indictment against former Armed Forces minister Pedro Rafael Peña, businessmen Daniel Aquino Hernandez, Daniel Aquino Méndez and Air Force Col. Carlos Piccini.

National District judge Alejandro Vargas ruled the case complex on August 17 last year, giving the prosecution eight months to complete the investigation and an additional four more months, which expire next Thursday.

Indictments

Of the group indicted, only Piccini was remanded to three months of pre-trial detention, whereas Peña was released on his own recognizance and is banned from travel, while ankle bracelets and a travel ban were ordered for the Hernándezs.