UPDATE: What are Donald Guerrero, José Ramón Peralta and Gonzalo Castillo accused of?

José Ramón Peralta, Gonzalo Castillo, and Donald Guerrero have several elements in common. All three were high-ranking officials of the Government of Danilo Medina, serving as Administrative Minister of the Presidency, Minister of Public Works, and Minister of Finance, respectively. They are also members of the powerful Political Committee of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).

However, they have another characteristic in common: all three have been the subject of an investigation by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) headed by magistrate Wilson Camacho, for alleged irregularities both in their time in the Government and, in the case of Castillo, for his political campaign.

Donald Guerrero
The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) initiated an investigation into alleged embezzlement against the Dominican State valued at more than 17 billion pesos.

According to the act of authorization of financial information issued by Judge Kenya Romero Severino, the Superintendencies of Banks, Securities, the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII), and the Institute of Development and Cooperative Credit (IDECOOP) were ordered to provide a series of information required by the Pepca for the investigation of a total of 209 individuals and legal entities (company).

The document identifies the main defendant in the case, the former Minister of Finance, Donald Guerrero Ortiz. In addition, former officials Emilio César Rivas Rodríguez, director of National Assets; Claudio Silver Peña, National Director of Cadastre; Luis Miguel Piccirillo Mccabe and Domingo Enrique Martínez Reyes of the State Sugar Council; Simón Lizardo Mézquita, administrator of BanResrevas; Luis Baldemiro Reyes Santos, Budget Director; Daniel Omar de Jesús Caamaño Santana, Comptroller General of the Republic; Princea Alexandra García Medina and Aldo Antonio Gerbasi Fernández of the Public Debt Recognition Directorate, among others, are also included.

Gonzalo Castillo
A report released by the Chamber of Accounts establishes that the State did not receive more than 171 million pesos due to alleged irregularities in contracts to purchase AC-30 asphalt material with General Supply Corporation SRL.

It is recalled that some entities had denounced the alleged anomalies in Public Works while Castillo was in charge when Danilo Medina governed. However, according to the authorities, seven processes carried out to purchase the concrete used for the asphalts present a denaturalization of the exception process to violate Law 3-40 on purchases and to contract of goods, which involves the buying of asphaltic concrete for an amount of 11.5 billion pesos.

However, Gonzalo Castillo, a PLD presidential candidate in the 2020 elections, has also been investigated for the financial management of his political campaign.

José Ramón Peralta
In the case of José Ramón Peralta against him, there were or deposited in the MP, and the Pepca investigation requested demand for alleged damages to the State and organized commerce related to import permits through the Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition, Pepca is also investigating the program of surprise visits in which the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency, led by Peralta, had one of the leading roles.