Attorney General confirms investigation regarding alleged corruption on Tucano airplanes
Political leaders demand the government release results of an investigation that was done
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. The Attorney General of the Republic said that there exists an international investigative process on alleged bribes and fraud in the acquisition by the Dominican state of eight Super Tucano aircraft.
In a communiqué, he said that the Dominican Republic is taking part in this investigation.
He said that in the investigations several instances of reciprocal assistance have intervened, in conformity with article 46 of the United Nations Convention on corruption, as well as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
Nevertheless, he said that in the interest of the success of the international investigation, "there exists a formal and express commitment of confidentiality in the present case."
For this reason, he considered that "at least for this moment, we should constrain ourselves to the strictest reserve regarding the details of the case."
According to what They Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday, United States and Brazilian authorities are investigating the sale of airplanes by the Embraer S. A. Company, through alleged bribes made to high military officials in the Dominican Republic and Argentina.
The regarding the purchase by the Dominican state of eight aircraft of the Super Tucano type for a total of US $92 million, the newspaper revealed that the Brazilian company could have incurred in bribes in order to carry out these negotiations.
According to the newspaper, and documents reviewed by the United States Justice Department, the prosecutors found evidence that Embraer executives approved a bribe of US $3.5 million for a high Dominican military official.
This would be the now - retired Colonel Carlos Piccini, who in 2008 was director of projects for the Armed Forces after being expelled from the military 10 years previously.
Shameful!
The former Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch called the accusation made by the United States Department of Justice shameful. The accusation dealt with bribery received by Dominican officials for the purchase of the Super Tucano aircraft at a cost of US $92 million.
She said that from the beginning their way in which the aircraft which would serve to fight drug trafficking were acquired was very mysterious and that according by the Department of Justice in the United States, the retired Colonel Carlos Piccini and a senator - not identified - received US $3.5 million to stimulate the purchase by the Dominican state.
"This country should be ashamed and should carry out an internal investigation in order to find out where those $3.5 billion went to," said the former Vice President which he was asked by reporters at the headquarters of the Modern Revolutionary Party.
She called on the corresponding institutions to carry out eight profile investigation regarding the case, since there could have been more than one legislator implicated in the action for which the Brazilian company Embraer S A paid out funds through a Phantom company with headquarters in Uruguay.
The Reformists
For their part, Reformists Ramon Rogelio Genao and Victor Bisono said they felt that the government should start an investigation regarding the announcement that a senator and a colonel could be involved in bribery for the purchase of the Super Tucano aircraft. Both said that the State is under the obligation of presenting the results of the investigation carried out by the country.
Transparency
Senator Tommy Galan, chairman of the Senate Hacienda Commission which studied the US $92 million loan for the purchase of the Super Tucano airplanes, guaranteed yesterday the transparency with which the study of this initiative and its ratification in the Senate was carried out. Both he as well as Senator Rafael Calderon requested that they identify the name of the Senator who had been bribed in order that "all the Senators are not put into one bag."
In the meantime the PRD deputy Hugo Nuñez said that it is very important that this case be cleared up.
In a communiqué, he said that the Dominican Republic is taking part in this investigation.
He said that in the investigations several instances of reciprocal assistance have intervened, in conformity with article 46 of the United Nations Convention on corruption, as well as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
Nevertheless, he said that in the interest of the success of the international investigation, "there exists a formal and express commitment of confidentiality in the present case."
For this reason, he considered that "at least for this moment, we should constrain ourselves to the strictest reserve regarding the details of the case."
According to what They Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday, United States and Brazilian authorities are investigating the sale of airplanes by the Embraer S. A. Company, through alleged bribes made to high military officials in the Dominican Republic and Argentina.
The regarding the purchase by the Dominican state of eight aircraft of the Super Tucano type for a total of US $92 million, the newspaper revealed that the Brazilian company could have incurred in bribes in order to carry out these negotiations.
According to the newspaper, and documents reviewed by the United States Justice Department, the prosecutors found evidence that Embraer executives approved a bribe of US $3.5 million for a high Dominican military official.
This would be the now - retired Colonel Carlos Piccini, who in 2008 was director of projects for the Armed Forces after being expelled from the military 10 years previously.
Shameful!
The former Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch called the accusation made by the United States Department of Justice shameful. The accusation dealt with bribery received by Dominican officials for the purchase of the Super Tucano aircraft at a cost of US $92 million.
She said that from the beginning their way in which the aircraft which would serve to fight drug trafficking were acquired was very mysterious and that according by the Department of Justice in the United States, the retired Colonel Carlos Piccini and a senator - not identified - received US $3.5 million to stimulate the purchase by the Dominican state.
"This country should be ashamed and should carry out an internal investigation in order to find out where those $3.5 billion went to," said the former Vice President which he was asked by reporters at the headquarters of the Modern Revolutionary Party.
She called on the corresponding institutions to carry out eight profile investigation regarding the case, since there could have been more than one legislator implicated in the action for which the Brazilian company Embraer S A paid out funds through a Phantom company with headquarters in Uruguay.
The Reformists
For their part, Reformists Ramon Rogelio Genao and Victor Bisono said they felt that the government should start an investigation regarding the announcement that a senator and a colonel could be involved in bribery for the purchase of the Super Tucano aircraft. Both said that the State is under the obligation of presenting the results of the investigation carried out by the country.
Transparency
Senator Tommy Galan, chairman of the Senate Hacienda Commission which studied the US $92 million loan for the purchase of the Super Tucano airplanes, guaranteed yesterday the transparency with which the study of this initiative and its ratification in the Senate was carried out. Both he as well as Senator Rafael Calderon requested that they identify the name of the Senator who had been bribed in order that "all the Senators are not put into one bag."
In the meantime the PRD deputy Hugo Nuñez said that it is very important that this case be cleared up.
Diario Libre
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