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NewsWhore
06-08-2006, 03:10 PM
Dominican taxpayers have footed the bill for a US$995,000 helicopter for the use of the head of the Dominican Municipal League, Amable Aristy Castro, who was recently elected Senator for the province of La Altagracia. Diario Libre reports that an audit carried out by the Chamber of Accounts revealed on 31 May 2004 that the Dominican Municipal League, which is funded by tax payers, had a debt of RD$18.4 million remaining for the purchase of the helicopter for the organization's secretary general. Aristy commutes between his home in Santo Domingo and La Altagracia province, where his daughter, Karina, is mayor of the city of Higuey. The audit shows that there was an irregularity in the purchase because the transactions were carried out through the Casa de Cambio Rosado, and not through the Banco de Reservas as required by government procedures.


The audit of the files of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD) also turned up evidence of other irregularities. The audit showed that the League did not follow the accounting principles as laid out by the office of the Controller General of the DR and contained in the Manual of Government Accounting. The period covered was from 1 July 2001 until 31 May 2004. Among other irregularities were salaries paid to people employed in other jobs, and "assistance" give to people "for no reason at all." Moreover, between January 2003 and July 2004, over RD$1.9 million was paid to 18 employees of the Department of Municipal Constructions who could not be located and who were unknown even to the departmental supervisors. Other areas under criticism were the league's inventory controls purchase office.

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