PEPCA claims irregular handling of funds in SeNaSa exceeds RD$15 billion

Santo Domingo.- The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) confirmed that the irregular handling of funds within the National Health Insurance (SeNaSa) generated a deficit that exceeds RD$15,000 million, a figure that the Public Ministry has placed as one of the central axes in the request for coercive measures within the so-called Operation Cobra. According to the accusation, this amount reflects not only the magnitude of the alleged fraudulent scheme, but also the severity of the financial impact suffered by an institution that manages resources intended for the health coverage of a vast affiliated population. Prosecutor Héctor García explained that the estimated deficit comes from the detailed analysis of internal audits and financial documentation collected during several months of investigation. According to the Public Ministry, these audits reveal irregular movements that would have been executed systematically and over a prolonged period of time, allowing to reconstruct a money trail that points to a management contrary to established procedures, constituting solid evidence of misuse of public resources destined for the State’s health administration.

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Researchers specified that the diverted funds were to guarantee the stable and continuous operation of SeNaSa, including medical coverage, payment for care, management of treatments, and the provision of essential services for the affiliates of the state system. The millionaire shortfall, as stated, compromises the institution’s ability to fulfill its mission, as the resources allegedly withdrawn were a fundamental part of its regular financial flow. Due to the magnitude and institutional scope of the damage, the Public Ministry considers the imposition of stricter measures against the accused indispensable, including preventive detention, arguing that the severity of the deficit, added to the nature of the operations detected, justifies the request for more rigorous coercion, as there is a risk of obstruction of the process or manipulation of evidence if the investigated face the process at liberty. Furthermore, the complexity of the case and the number of documents to be analyzed reinforce the position of the prosecuting authority.