Court condemns former representative of Odebrecht and former Minister of Public Works of the Dominican Republic

(CNN Spanish) – The First Collegiate Court of the National District of the Dominican Republic declared guilty this Thursday the former representative of the Brazilian company Odebrecht in the country and a former Minister of Public Works. In addition, the court acquitted the other four defendants for the US $ 92 million in bribes that the construction company paid in the Caribbean country.

The businessman and former Odebrecht representative (from 2001 to 2014) in the Dominican Republic, Ángel Rondón, was found guilty of the crimes of paying bribes and money laundering.

Rondón was sentenced to eight years in prison and to pay a fine of 200 times the minimum wage, equivalent to some US $ 73,000.

Upon leaving court, Rondón said that if he is guilty of bribing, where are the bribed.

His lawyer, José Miguel Minier, assured that he will appeal the decision of the judges.

Likewise, the magistrates found the former minister of Public Works and Communications and former director of the National Institute of Drinking Waters and Sewers, Víctor Díaz Rúa, guilty of money laundering and illicit enrichment.

Díaz Rúa also insists on his innocence.

His lawyer, Miguel Valerio, assured that he will appeal the sentence on appeal.

The former official was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 200 times the minimum wage, equivalent to some US $ 73,000.

On the other hand, the judges ordered the confiscation of 11 assets belonging to Díaz Rúa in favor of the Dominican State.

Rondón and Díaz Rúa will not go to prison

The First Collegiate Court of the National District considered that there is no danger of flight, therefore, the measure of coercion that has kept both Rondón and Díaz Rúa on parole since 2017 did not change. Of course, they will not be able to leave the country without authorization. judicial until the appeal process is exhausted.

The director of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca), Wilson Camacho, said that the prosecutors understood that the court should have varied the measures of coercion in the case of Díaz Rúa and Rondón, so that the sentence could be carried out.

Regarding the sentences against Díaz Rúa and Rondón, Camacho said that he prefers to wait for the full sentence on November 25 to decide whether to appeal the decisions against those involved in the case.

Four defendants in the Odebrecht case acquitted

The First Collegiate Court of the National District determined that the lawyer Conrado Pittaluga did not incur in bribery, for which he was acquitted.

The former president of the Senate, Andrés Bautista García, was also favored with an acquittal for the crime of bribery in the Odebrecht case.

The judges of the First Collegiate Court of the National District indicated that the defense of the former senator was able to determine and verify that all his assets and properties were acquired in a lawful manner.

The former congressman, Tommy Galán, was also acquitted.

Finally, Juan Roberto Rodríguez, former executive director of the National Institute of Potable Waters and Sewers (INAPA) was acquitted of the accusations of the Public Ministry in the framework of the Odebrecht case.

However, Camacho announced that the Public Ministry will appeal the acquittals that