Company and owner receive RD$60 million penalty for environmental damage in Loma Redonda

San José de Ocoa.- The Collegiate Court of the Court of First Instance of the Judicial District of San José de Ocoa sentenced Agroforestal MACAPI, S.A. and its owner, agribusinessman Manuel Castillo Pimentel, for environmental damage caused in the Loma Redonda area. The ruling imposes fines and compensation totaling RD$60 million, along with a two-year suspended prison sentence for Castillo Pimentel.

The decision, issued by Judge Alfis Brandeli Castillo Castillo and notified to the Public Ministry in December 2025 through the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources (Proedemaren), found the defendants guilty of multiple violations of environmental and forestry laws. The court ordered the payment of a RD$50 million fine in favor of the Dominican State, in addition to RD$10 million as civil compensation for moral damages, while suspending the prison sentence under the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court also ordered the restoration of approximately 100 tareas of affected land through a reforestation plan using native species, under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment. According to the prosecution, the environmental damage included large-scale deforestation, harm to biodiversity and water resources, and the construction of unauthorized infrastructure, underscoring the severity of the violations and reinforcing the State’s commitment to prosecuting environmental crimes.