NewsWhore
07-15-2011, 03:40 PM
One of the defendants in the Figueroa Agosto drug money laundering case, Mary Pelaez, made headlines yesterday when she said that President Leonel Fernandez had instructed his then director of the Presidency Supervisory Office of Public Works, now senator Felix Bautista, to grant her government contract work.
She said that President Fernandez ordered this shortly after her father, businessman and comedian Milton Pelaez, was murdered in 2006.
News reports indicated that she had profited to the tune of RD$15 million from construction work related to UASD regional branch in San Juan de la Maguana, a church in Piedra Blanca, and other contracts.
Pelaez is standing trial for her ties to Puerto Rican drug capo Jose David Figueroa Agosto.
In order for her to benefit from the contract work despite not owning an engineering company or being an engineer, nor having previous experience in this kind of work, Pelaez said that Bautista instructed her to purchase a portfolio company to be accepted by his office as a government contractor. According to news reports, her new company, Enadis was granted the contract in violation of Government Procurement Law and regular procedures for government contracting.
Pelaez said that Bautista was the person who had approached her to inform her that President Leonel Fernandez wanted to help her. "He (Felix Bautista) called me on a Sunday, I remember it clearly, and said 'the President wants to help you.'" She said that Bautista took her and her sister Adolfina Pelaez to the places where the works would be carried out.
As part of her defense against the money laundering charges, Pelaez is also insisting that she had wealth of her own. She has declared her personal assets as RD$100-RD$200 million. Diario Libre quotes Palaez as saying that she has handled millions in legitimate business dealings since she was 18. She said that she handled some RD$100 million in 2004 and 2005. Pelaez is 38 years old.
www.elcaribe.com.do/site/nacionales/281848-dice-le-propusieron-empresa-como-ayuda.html (http://www.elcaribe.com.do/site/nacionales/281848-dice-le-propusieron-empresa-como-ayuda.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
She said that President Fernandez ordered this shortly after her father, businessman and comedian Milton Pelaez, was murdered in 2006.
News reports indicated that she had profited to the tune of RD$15 million from construction work related to UASD regional branch in San Juan de la Maguana, a church in Piedra Blanca, and other contracts.
Pelaez is standing trial for her ties to Puerto Rican drug capo Jose David Figueroa Agosto.
In order for her to benefit from the contract work despite not owning an engineering company or being an engineer, nor having previous experience in this kind of work, Pelaez said that Bautista instructed her to purchase a portfolio company to be accepted by his office as a government contractor. According to news reports, her new company, Enadis was granted the contract in violation of Government Procurement Law and regular procedures for government contracting.
Pelaez said that Bautista was the person who had approached her to inform her that President Leonel Fernandez wanted to help her. "He (Felix Bautista) called me on a Sunday, I remember it clearly, and said 'the President wants to help you.'" She said that Bautista took her and her sister Adolfina Pelaez to the places where the works would be carried out.
As part of her defense against the money laundering charges, Pelaez is also insisting that she had wealth of her own. She has declared her personal assets as RD$100-RD$200 million. Diario Libre quotes Palaez as saying that she has handled millions in legitimate business dealings since she was 18. She said that she handled some RD$100 million in 2004 and 2005. Pelaez is 38 years old.
www.elcaribe.com.do/site/nacionales/281848-dice-le-propusieron-empresa-como-ayuda.html (http://www.elcaribe.com.do/site/nacionales/281848-dice-le-propusieron-empresa-como-ayuda.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)