Dominican Republic bill makes it easier for corrupt officials

Santo Domingo.-The draft to amend the Penal Code approved in the first roll call by the Deputies reduces the sentence for corruption initially addressed in the bill studied by the Justice Commission, reduces from 10 to three years the maximum penalties for such offenses.

The proposal by Chamber president, Alfredo Pacheco, stipulates that corruption would be punished with custodial sentences of four to 10 years, however, it is now expected to be two to three.

This contradicts the discourse sold by Congress that the new Code would be drastic and would punish corruption in such a way that no public official would be tempted to commit this criminal offense.

Servio Tulio Castaños Guzmán, executive vice president of the judicial think tank (Finjus), labeled as unusual and as an additional incentive for acts of corruption to be committed to establish penalties that contradict international agreements and the comparative jurisdiction of crimes and crimes of corruption.

Call to action

On Fri. the veteran journalist Huchi Lora slammed the proposed amendment and called on the population to mobilize against its approval.