‘Anti-octopus’ raids nab Dominican Republic senior officials

Santo Domingo.- Two of the companies linked to the brother of former President Danilo Medina, Juan Alexis Medina Sánchez, received payments of about RD$200 million for alleged irregular contracts with the Public Health Ministry, during Freddy Hidalgo’s tenure.

That was stated by the Justice Ministry in one of the requests for a search warrant to proceed with the arrest of 10 people, among former officials and people whom it describes as privileged providers and front men “who took advantage of family ties with the powerful politician to accumulate fortunes during the past term of government.”

In addition to Hidalgo and Medina Sánchez, the arrests, carried out at dawn last Sunday, include the former director of the Office of State Works Supervising Engineers (OISOE), Francisco Pagán; the former president of the Patrimonial Fund of Reformed Companies (Fonper), Fernando Rosa and the former vice president of that entity, and sister of former president Medina, Carmen Magalys Medina Sánchez.

Also the former comptroller general, Rafael Antonio Germosén Andújar; the former OISOE inspection director, Aquiles Alejandro Christopher Sánchez, Domingo Antonio Santiago Muñoz and Julián Esteban Suriel.

The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s (Pepca) investigation has been called “Operation Antipulpo” (anti octopus). The name refers to the ability of the former president’s brother to extend his “tentacles” through various state institutions in which he obtained State contracts.