Court sets September for the full reading of the verdict in the Coral and Coral 5G case

Santo Domingo.– The full reading of the sentence against the defendants in the Coral and Coral 5G cases was scheduled for next September 23rd, at 2:00 in the afternoon, by the First Collegiate Court of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the National District.

Among the main defendants are Major General Adán Cáceres Silvestre and General Juan Carlos Torres Robiou, along with other individuals charged in the proceedings for alleged corruption and money laundering.

The court explained that it needs more time to conclude, integrate, and review the reasoning of the judgment, due to the complexity of the file and the extensive trial on the merits.

The process involved 36 people, 29 individuals and seven legal entities, in addition to 18 voluntary interveners. During the trial, 319 testimonies, 4,081 documentary evidence, 146 expert reports, and 114 material evidence were presented.

According to the judges, the trial lasted for approximately 658 calendar days, while the oral presentation of the decision’s operative part extended for about 11 hours. The operative part of the judgment consists of 41 points distributed over 88 pages.

The court noted that the drafting of the decision requires a detailed analysis to ensure that the reasoning is coherent, complete, and in accordance with the guarantees of due process and effective judicial protection.

Although the legal deadline to conclude the document expired on September 8, the judges granted a 10-business-day extension and set September 23 as the new date for the full reading of the ruling.

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The reading also constitutes the formal act of notification of the judgment to the parties involved in the process.

Case background

The Coral and Coral 5G process arose from an indictment by the Public Prosecutor’s Office against military personnel, police officers, and civilians, whom it accuses of being part of a structure that allegedly embezzled more than RD$4.5 billion from the State.

On June 16, the court issued its decision and sentenced Adán Cáceres, Juan Carlos Torres Robiou, and Rafael Núñez de Aza to 20 years in prison. Rossy Guzmán was sentenced to 15 years, while other defendants received different sentences and seven were acquitted.

The decision also includes compensation of RD$5 billion in favor of the State, as reported by the Public Heritage Recovery Team.

Now, the judges must complete the drafting and review of the document before its public reading on September 23rd.