Local October 18, 2022 | 11:37 am

Judge says Jean Alain is at risk of escaping

According to the judge of the Third Court of Instruction of the National District, the former Attorney General of the Republic, Jean Alain Rodriguez, poses a risk of eluding capture, and as a result, the measure of coercion of preventive detention that he maintains has not changed. The new budget and the former official’s pleas were insufficient to persuade Judge Amauri Martinez to change the measure or grant Rodriguez his full freedom, as Rodriguez requested.

 The budgets presented were insufficient, and Jean Alain remained at risk of withdrawing from the process, so on June 13, 2021, Kenya Romero, the judge of the Permanent Attention Office of the National District, ordered 18 months of preventive detention.

The former attorney was accused of leading a network of administrative corruption when he was in charge of the Attorney General’s Office. The first argument he raised was that he would not escape the judicial process. He demonstrated his roots through his family heritage, his children, and his wife.

Jean Alain defended himself by stating that he did not commit any of the alleged crimes, though he admitted that, as a human, he had “made mistakes, but not crimes.” He also cited his moral character. You are in the presence of a person who has never encountered a legal issue and who has never entered a courtroom, he said. “Magistrate. I work, live, and breathe with transparency and truth, “he stated.”

He used the opportunity to say that he was recently hospitalized for kidney failure and that he asked the Public Ministry to go discreetly because his interest is not to be released from prison due to a medical condition but rather because he is innocent of all charges. “I beg you to uphold justice.” The former attorney concluded his demonstration with the words, “May God bless and reward you.”

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RICHARD
October 18, 2022 11:53 am

I suppose that it would be quite impossible in most developed countries to keep a former senior Minister in prison for so long without actually bringing him to trial..it really gives the impression that this is just a very cruel political imprisonment.He is a political prisoner. It is a dreadful indictment on the justice system of the DR ..as if more evidence was needed !!

Paul Tierney
October 19, 2022 8:37 am
Reply to  RICHARD

One could call this a political imprisonment if he thought so, as this type of action is not uncommon with changes of government. The former Attorney General is accused of defrauding the nation of about US$ 103 million as part of a large criminal ring, including other government officials. It would be considered political suicide for a sitting government to bring charges against a big official of a previous administration unless evidence is so overwhelming it cannot turn a blind eye to it. It can be offered as an element of the Operation Medusa investigation other detained officials may have provided strong information of the former AG’s involvement in the crimes. It is noteworthy the former AG was boarding a flight to leave the country when he was detained.