Quirino grabs attention because of unknown location; he cannot be prosecuted
Balcacer says all charges expired with extradition
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. The convicted drug dealer Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo, continues to capture the attention of Dominicans, now because of his unexpected arrival into the country and the fact that his whereabouts are unknown. Before this, it was because of his statements regarding the alleged financing of former President Leonel Fernandez' election campaign.
"He is where he is," like the Juan Gabriel song says, Paulino Castillo arrived like anybody else; he cannot be prosecuted, since the crimes which he paid for with a nine-year sentence in the United States, referring to a stash of 1380 kg of cocaine seized by the Dominican authorities on 22 December 2004, or any other crime committed at this time, has surpassed the statutes of limitation. This was stated yesterday by lawyer Carlos Balcacer, who was Quirino's defense lawyer during the process of incarceration and extradition to United States territory.
"The State renounced authority to investigate, prosecute and accuse in order to concede the extradition to the soliciting country which was the United States. Since that was in 2004, which was the date of the 1300 kg until now, everything expired outside of that action in which the state has resigned, and there is no way in which the Dominican State can prosecute Quirino," said Balcacer.
Paulino Castillo arrived on Saturday at 6:40 in the morning at the Las Americas International Airport, on a regular Jet Blue flight, and according to the information obtained, he got into a black SUV, and went to an unknown destination. That same day it was speculated that he had gone to his native Elias Piñas, where the local citizens were waiting for his arrival in order to celebrate.
Yesterday there were stories that the former Army Captain might be in Bani; that on his arrival at the airport he was received by a Sergeant of the Specialized Corps of Airport Security (CESA), who escorted him to his destination. This Sergeant is supposedly detained now in order to be investigated.
Quirino was also sought yesterday throughout the East, according to reports from journalists in that area, although it was also commented that he might be in a sector of the capital.
The insistence on finding the destination of Paulino Castillo would be, perhaps, in order that he answer some of the impending questions, both from 2005 as well as this year, when he decided to participate in several local media, during which he made statements regarding the alleged delivery of RD$200 million which he said he gave to former President Fernandez.
Why did the former Captain comeback? Might it be to collect from his debtors? Did he have a real relationship with the former President Fernandez? What kind of a relation did he have with former President Hipolito Mejia, during whose administration he was promoted to the rank of captain? What ties did he have or does he have with military personnel? Given that he has the support of his community, will he aspired to some political position? These are some of the questions. It so happens that his arrival back in the country could resolve the mystery of where the shipment of 1380 kg of drugs were seized in 2004 was heading.
A start from scratch?
In addition to the privilege of entering the country without the adjective of ‘repatriated' with which the majority of those that serve sentences in the United States arrive, Quirino could set off in the businesses which were returned to his family after his departure from the country in 2005. On his cédula and on his boarding card from Jet Blue, the former convict declared himself as a merchant.
By means of the sentence of extradition issued by the Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice on 18 February 2005, the seizure of properties for a value of US $7 million was awarded as required by the United States.
According to recent declarations by the prosecutor that carried out that investigation, now a judge on the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Juan Manuel Hernandez Peguero, some RD$900 million was seized from Paulino Castillo.
Nevertheless, several years later, the District Attorney of the National District had to return some of the seized assets to his relatives.
In 2009, the then District Attorney for the National District, and now a Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice, Alejandro Moscoso Segarra, reported that they had returned some RD$40 million to relatives of the extradited criminal, as a result of the sale of rice, and that the factory (rice mill) that he had in Elias Piña was also returned.
That same year, the national media reported an alleged proposal made by Paulino Castillo, through his lawyers, to buy back from the Attorney General of the Republic all of the assets seized for the sum of US $14.5 million.
"He is where he is," like the Juan Gabriel song says, Paulino Castillo arrived like anybody else; he cannot be prosecuted, since the crimes which he paid for with a nine-year sentence in the United States, referring to a stash of 1380 kg of cocaine seized by the Dominican authorities on 22 December 2004, or any other crime committed at this time, has surpassed the statutes of limitation. This was stated yesterday by lawyer Carlos Balcacer, who was Quirino's defense lawyer during the process of incarceration and extradition to United States territory.
"The State renounced authority to investigate, prosecute and accuse in order to concede the extradition to the soliciting country which was the United States. Since that was in 2004, which was the date of the 1300 kg until now, everything expired outside of that action in which the state has resigned, and there is no way in which the Dominican State can prosecute Quirino," said Balcacer.
Paulino Castillo arrived on Saturday at 6:40 in the morning at the Las Americas International Airport, on a regular Jet Blue flight, and according to the information obtained, he got into a black SUV, and went to an unknown destination. That same day it was speculated that he had gone to his native Elias Piñas, where the local citizens were waiting for his arrival in order to celebrate.
Yesterday there were stories that the former Army Captain might be in Bani; that on his arrival at the airport he was received by a Sergeant of the Specialized Corps of Airport Security (CESA), who escorted him to his destination. This Sergeant is supposedly detained now in order to be investigated.
Quirino was also sought yesterday throughout the East, according to reports from journalists in that area, although it was also commented that he might be in a sector of the capital.
The insistence on finding the destination of Paulino Castillo would be, perhaps, in order that he answer some of the impending questions, both from 2005 as well as this year, when he decided to participate in several local media, during which he made statements regarding the alleged delivery of RD$200 million which he said he gave to former President Fernandez.
Why did the former Captain comeback? Might it be to collect from his debtors? Did he have a real relationship with the former President Fernandez? What kind of a relation did he have with former President Hipolito Mejia, during whose administration he was promoted to the rank of captain? What ties did he have or does he have with military personnel? Given that he has the support of his community, will he aspired to some political position? These are some of the questions. It so happens that his arrival back in the country could resolve the mystery of where the shipment of 1380 kg of drugs were seized in 2004 was heading.
A start from scratch?
In addition to the privilege of entering the country without the adjective of ‘repatriated' with which the majority of those that serve sentences in the United States arrive, Quirino could set off in the businesses which were returned to his family after his departure from the country in 2005. On his cédula and on his boarding card from Jet Blue, the former convict declared himself as a merchant.
By means of the sentence of extradition issued by the Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice on 18 February 2005, the seizure of properties for a value of US $7 million was awarded as required by the United States.
According to recent declarations by the prosecutor that carried out that investigation, now a judge on the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Juan Manuel Hernandez Peguero, some RD$900 million was seized from Paulino Castillo.
Nevertheless, several years later, the District Attorney of the National District had to return some of the seized assets to his relatives.
In 2009, the then District Attorney for the National District, and now a Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice, Alejandro Moscoso Segarra, reported that they had returned some RD$40 million to relatives of the extradited criminal, as a result of the sale of rice, and that the factory (rice mill) that he had in Elias Piña was also returned.
That same year, the national media reported an alleged proposal made by Paulino Castillo, through his lawyers, to buy back from the Attorney General of the Republic all of the assets seized for the sum of US $14.5 million.
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