Court eases detention measures for Intrant case defendants in alleged traffic light contract fraud

Santo Domingo.- The Second Criminal Chamber of the National District Court of Appeal ruled on Monday to alter the detention measures for Hugo Beras, former director of Intrant, Jochi Gómez, president of Transcore Latam, and Pedro Padovani. Previously held in preventive detention for 18 months, the court now mandates a periodic appearance before judicial authorities, a travel ban, and a financial guarantee of RD$2 million as alternative measures. Judges Isis Muñiz, Luis Omar Jiménez, and Delio Germán issued this decision.

On October 10, Beras, Gómez, and Padovani were ordered to the Najayo Men’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center for alleged involvement in fraudulent activities linked to a 1,317 million-peso contract intended for the traffic light system installation in Greater Santo Domingo. They are accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of participating in a network allegedly engaged in embezzlement, forgery, organized crime, and corruption through Operation Chameleon.

The contract under scrutiny involves the modernization and management of Greater Santo Domingo’s Traffic Control Center and traffic light network, awarded to Transcore Latam, owned by Gómez. The accusations center on irregularities within the tendering process for this project, purportedly aimed at defrauding the state through a series of criminal acts.