Santiago.– Under strict security measures, the main individuals involved in the so-called Operation Onco14 were transferred this Tuesday to the courtroom of the Judicial Office of Permanent Attention Services of Santiago, accused of leading an alleged corruption network that reportedly diverted millions of pesos intended for the treatment of cancer patients at the Cibao Regional Oncological Institute (IORC).
The defendants are Héctor Antonio Lora Cruceta, former president of the Cibaeño Board Against Cancer; Luisa Yasiris Guzmán, president of the Tócate RD Foundation-Shelter House and wife of the main defendant; and Dilcia Isabel Vargas Sánchez, former vice president of the board and ex-wife of Lora Cruceta.
During the hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will request the imposition of 18 months of pretrial detention and for the process to be declared a complex case, considering that it involves an organized criminal structure that operated for several years to the detriment of cancer patients and the Dominican State.
According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly led a network dedicated to the embezzlement of resources from the National Health Insurance (SeNaSa), funds that were intended to guarantee medications, specialized treatments, and medical services for low-income patients battling cancer.
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Investigations by the prosecuting body establish that the alleged structure executed multiple fraudulent maneuvers, including the falsification of medical documents, use of fake stamps, alteration of clinical indications, double billing to the State, incomplete delivery of medications, commercialization of drugs received through donations, and diversion of public funds.
The case has caused great commotion in the health sector due to the nature of the resources allegedly embezzled, which were intended for the care of people affected by one of the most delicate and expensive diseases in the healthcare system.
The defendants face charges of criminal association, fraud against the State, bribery, high-tech crimes, illicit access to computer systems, and money laundering, offenses that could carry severe criminal penalties if found guilty.
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The judge in charge of the case is expected to decide within hours whether to grant the request filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office against the main defendants of Operation Onco14.
