They postpone the coercive measure against those accused in Operation Onco 14 until next Friday the 19th.
The defendants would have handled approximately RD$3.7 billion from the National Health Insurance (Senasa), according to Deputy Attorney General Wilson Camacho at the conclusion of the coercive measure hearing against the defendants in the case.
The figure corresponds only to the resources under investigation related to the state health system, within an alleged network identified by the Public Ministry for crimes of fraud, blackmail, money laundering and other criminal infractions.
“The oncologist handled approximately 3.7 billion pesos from the Senasa National Health Insurance alone, which is what the Public Ministry is investigating,” Camacho stated.
The statements were offered after the Judicial Office of Permanent Attention Services of Santiago postponed until next Friday, June 19, the knowledge of the coercive measure against the accused.
According to the head of the General Directorate of Prosecution, the postponement was requested by the defense lawyers, who claimed they needed more time to study the file presented by the prosecuting body.
“The hearing was postponed at the request of the defense, which has literally told the court that it needs time to study the voluminous process that the Public Ministry has filed,” he explained.
Camacho maintained that the Public Ministry maintains its request for 18 months of preventive detention, based on the amount of evidence collected during the investigation.
Likewise, he indicated that the file contains multiple criminal charges linked to the alleged operation of the criminal structure.
“The legal qualification is broad. It has fraud against the Dominican State, it has blackmail, it has money laundering, among other criminal types that are part of the process and that the Public Ministry develops with its investigation,” he said.
The hearing was rescheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon next Friday, June 19, the date on which the court will hear the request for a measure of coercion presented by the Public Ministry against those involved.
The measure was accepted by Judge Stephanie Santiago Reyes, at the request of the defense.
“It was postponed in order for us to be able to know all the pieces of the file, as well as to be able to present the local budgets of our clients,” said lawyer Antonio Falete representing Dilcia Vargas.
