Supreme Court confirms RENOVE sentences

[NewsWhore]

Judges at the Supreme Court of Justice have confirmed the sentences against 10 former government officials charged in the Plan Renove scandal, declaring that their appeal in the high court was inadmissible. The next step for the judicial system is to announce the sentence and order the re-arrest of the ex-officials. If implemented, the decision could prove a triumph for the Dominican legal system in its pursuit of reducing government corruption and strengthening its often-weak judicial process. Hoy writes that the original sentence in the Plan Renove case was announced on 17 October 2005 by the National District's Fifth Penal Court of Appeals, in which the accused received a variety of jail sentences. Fabio Ruiz got four years in prison and a fine of RD$10 million, Milciades Amaro Guzman: three years in prison and RD$5 million, Antonio Marte: three years in prison and RD$8 million, Pedro Franco Badia: three years in prison and RD$15 million, Gervasio de la Rosa: two years in prison and RD$3 million, Blas Peralta: six months in prison and RD$2 million, Paulino Antonio Reynoso: two years in prison, Alfredo Pulinario Linares (Cambita): six months house arrest, Francisco A. Perez: six months house arrest, Freddy Mendez: six months house arrest and RD$1 million. Marte, who is the leader of the Conatra transport union, says that he is ready to go to jail if he has to, but added that he needs to be able to see his doctor once a week. The Plan Renove scam dates back to the Hipolito Mejia government (2000-2004) when government officials and businessmen conspired to defraud the state of RD$1.8 billion by selling the government overpriced Hyundai vehicles through dummy corporations.

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