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NewsWhore
08-11-2011, 05:20 PM
WikiLeaks on Hipolito and the Supreme Court

The most recent cable published by Grupo SIN reveals comments of the US Embassy indicating that former President Hipolito Mejia, prior to leaving government, sought to position himself to be able to influence Supreme Court decisions. The Embassy file comments that there seemed to be a plan to use government majority in Congress to position PRD men in the Supreme Court so that "if Mejia loses the May 16 elections, friends and PRD supporters on the Court could prevent successful prosecutions of Mejia administration officials for real or alleged abuses while in office."

In a background brief, the US Embassy file dated 26 February 2004 indicates that the Judicial Council (Consejo Nacional de la Magistratura) has the authority to select judges for vacancies on the Supreme Court and to designate the Chief Justice.

The brief speculated on whether the PRD would have Supreme Court of Justice president Jorge Subero Isa replaced by a judge estimated to be more partial to the PRD. This did not occur at the time.

Interestingly, the brief is released on the same date the same Judicial Committee is convened to get back to work on the selection of judges for the higher courts. This time, the tables are switched, and the PLD has the majority to appoint lawyers that may be partial to the ruling party and its outgoing government officers.

http://www.acento.com.do/index.php/news/5962/56/Wikileaks-Cable-sobre-Hipolito-y-la-Suprema-completo-en-ingles-y-espanol.html?nstrack=sid:19418|met:102|cat:106|order:1

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