Santo Domingo.- The judicial decision that granted a dismissal of the case to Gonzalo Castillo and José Ramón Peralta in the Calamar case generated diverse reactions among legislators and political leaders, who agreed to respect the ruling, although they offered different interpretations regarding its implications.
From the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), deputy Charlie Mariotti Paz stated that the decision represents a vindication for the former officials involved. “Definitely, this dismissal order vindicates the PLD officials,” he expressed, maintaining that during the process “none of them could be proven to have committed any criminally punishable act” and that the evidence presented proved insufficient.
Mariotti also considered that the ruling restores the honor of the defendants after more than three years of judicial proceedings. “Both are reinstated today and their innocence is returned to them, because the Public Prosecutor’s Office definitely created a case without rhyme or reason,” he stated when referring to Gonzalo Castillo and José Ramón Peralta.
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In contrast, some legislators interpreted the ruling as a sign of the weaknesses that can arise in the preparation of judicial files. Deputy Eugenio Cedeño (PRM) maintained that the decision reflects “the haste with which many files are prepared and the original flaws that files of that nature may have.” He added that the collapse of high-profile cases generates concern among citizens, who expect concrete results from the justice system.
Cedeño defended, however, the independence of the judicial system and rejected that there is any influence from the Executive Branch in these types of processes. “The President of the Republic took his hands off justice and left justice in the hands of the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” he stated.
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For his part, Deputy Elías Wessin Chávez considered that the file presented procedural deficiencies. “I believe that this file has its flaws in some way. And all that legal technique is seen in the process,” he pointed out, while opining that the decision of no grounds could have benefited other individuals who continue to face judicial proceedings.
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Deputy Kenia Bidó (PRM) advocated for respecting the judicial ruling and avoiding hasty judgments. “If that was the court’s ruling, we respect it because those of us who have not studied the case cannot lightly say whether we agree or not,” she stated. Regarding Gonzalo Castillo’s political aspirations, she added that “everyone who aspires to something has to say that they aspire to it.”
Judge Altagracia Ramírez, of the Fourth Instruction Court of the National District, issued a no-grounds order last Friday in favor of Gonzalo Castillo and José Ramón Peralta, who were accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of being members of an alleged structure that had caused economic damage to the State exceeding RD$41 billion.
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In justifying her decision, the magistrate concluded that the accusation was not supported by sufficient evidence to warrant the opening of a trial on the merits. In that sense, she determined that the elements presented by the prosecuting body did not allow for establishing a reasonable expectation of conviction at a later stage of the process.
