Santo Domingo. – The Attorney General of the Republic, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, reaffirmed the Public Ministry’s commitment to continue fighting corruption and assured that the institution will exhaust all available legal resources to bring to trial cases in which there is sufficient evidence against the defendants.
Reynoso maintained that the prosecuting body will maintain a firm stance against administrative corruption crimes and reiterated that it will appeal any judicial decision of ‘no ha lugar’ (dismissal) that, in its view, is not supported by law.
“The Public Ministry, as the State’s prosecuting body, has a clear, firm, and definitive message for the citizenry: under no circumstances will we stop the fight against corruption,” he expressed.
The magistrate stated that corruption constitutes a serious violation of the population’s rights, because the diverted resources affect fundamental areas such as health, education, and citizen security.
Referring to recent judicial decisions, Reynoso indicated that she has participated directly in the investigations and knows firsthand the evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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“Allowing a dismissal order to pass that is not supported by law and that favors defendants who played a fundamental role within a criminal structure would not be honest or fair to the country,” he stated.
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The prosecutor assured that the evidence presented by the Public Ministry supports the accusations made and that the facts must be heard in a full trial.
Likewise, he pointed out that some of the defendants favored by dismissal decisions admitted to having received significant sums of money from acts of corruption.
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Reynoso indicated that it is up to each actor in the justice system to assume their responsibility within the process, while the Public Prosecutor’s Office will continue to exercise its role until all procedural avenues established by law are exhausted.
“Those who bet on impunity can continue spending millions on campaigns, lies, and attempts to distort the truth. However, the country must know one thing with absolute certainty: they will never break our will to do the right thing,” he/she affirmed.
Results of the anti-corruption fight
The attorney general highlighted that, despite existing challenges, the fight against corruption has made significant progress in recent years.
Among the results he cited:
- 274 individuals and legal entities accused.
- 74 convictions obtained in proceedings known to date.
- 174 indictments for trial.
- More than RD$6 billion confiscated in favor of the State.
- Convictions and confiscations considered historic in corruption cases.
- The entry into force of new legal tools, such as the Asset Forfeiture Law and the Procurement and Contracting Law.
- International recognition of the Dominican Republic for its progress in the fight against corruption.
However, he acknowledged that structural and historical challenges still persist that must be addressed.
“Being passive in the face of acts of corruption is equivalent to allowing them to steal the present and the future of our nation,” he expressed.
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Reynoso concluded by assuring that the Public Ministry will continue to promote judicial processes related to administrative corruption and defending public assets for the benefit of the citizenry.
