Judge delays Calamar corruption hearing after defendant cites medical leave

Santo Domingo.- The Fourth Criminal Court of Instruction postponed Thursday’s hearing in the high-profile Calamar corruption case after defendant Natividad Padilla presented a medical leave certificate. Judge Altagracia Ramírez rescheduled the session for Friday at 9:00 a.m., when prosecutors will continue reading the Public Ministry’s dossier in court.

The Calamar case centers on an alleged network of former government officials accused of embezzling billions of pesos from the state treasury through a web of fictitious contracts across multiple agencies. Among the principal defendants are ex-ministers Ángel Donald Guerrero Ortiz, José Ramón Peralta and Gonzalo Castillo Terrero, as well as business executives and bureaucrats tied to the scheme.

The pause comes at a critical juncture: prosecutors had begun publicly detailing the evidence against the 20-plus suspects, and any delay risks slowing the judiciary’s effort to hold powerful figures to account. Defense attorneys argue that Padilla’s health issue warrants a short adjournment, but government watchdogs warn that recurring postponements could undermine public confidence in the rule of law.

With the hearing set to resume Friday morning, all eyes will be on how the court handles Padilla’s medical claim and whether further delays will follow. The Dominican Republic’s justice system faces mounting pressure to deliver swift and transparent proceedings in what many consider a watershed moment for accountability in public office.