NewsWhore
09-11-2007, 04:40 PM
The Vista Mare beach property development, of which Tourism Minister Felix "Felucho" Jimenez is a leading investor, was fined RD$498,542.16 for beginning the project without the proper permits and causing considerable environmental damages to a 186,140 square meter area, as reported in Hoy. The Vista Mare project features the construction of 93 apartments in 5 three-story buildings (80,000 square meter construction), in the Los Cacaos section of Los Naranjos in Samana. The fines on the project are dated 28 August, two days before Jimenez went before the Chamber of Deputies to answer to a query on conflict of interest of his private business deals with those of regulator of the tourism industry as minister of tourism. Hoy writes that that same day the Constructora JJ S.A. paid the fine via certified check.
The penalty had been approved by Resolution 010-07 of the Deputy Ministry of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, signed by Deputy Minister Zoila Gonzalez, who is no longer in the post. The Resolution suspended the construction of the project until the due license be issued by the Ministry of Environment.
New Environment Minister Omar Ramirez awarded on 28 August the requested permit that had been denied by his predecessor, Max Puig.
Paying the fine that is a maximum half million (up to 3,000 minimum wages) is a common practice by project developers, as profits to be made are way beyond the cost of the penalty.
Hoy also reports that the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the hearing for a defamation and libel suit levied by Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez on Deputy Mario Fernandez Savinon (PRSCC-Duarte).
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
The penalty had been approved by Resolution 010-07 of the Deputy Ministry of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, signed by Deputy Minister Zoila Gonzalez, who is no longer in the post. The Resolution suspended the construction of the project until the due license be issued by the Ministry of Environment.
New Environment Minister Omar Ramirez awarded on 28 August the requested permit that had been denied by his predecessor, Max Puig.
Paying the fine that is a maximum half million (up to 3,000 minimum wages) is a common practice by project developers, as profits to be made are way beyond the cost of the penalty.
Hoy also reports that the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the hearing for a defamation and libel suit levied by Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez on Deputy Mario Fernandez Savinon (PRSCC-Duarte).
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)