Santo Domingo. – Moments of tension were experienced outside the Ciudad Nueva Palace of Justice, when several victims of the alleged real estate fraud linked to the so-called “Operation Nest” confronted Emmanuel Rivera Ledesma and other defendants as a court hearing concluded.
As the defendants were being transported in custody, protesters shouted insults and demands at them such as: “Thief!”, “Criminal family!” and “Accused of real estate fraud!”, expressing their outrage over the financial losses they claim to have suffered as a result of the alleged housing projects that were never executed.
The incident occurred after the Fourth Collegiate Court of the National District decided to maintain the pretrial detention against Rivera Ledesma, identified by the Public Ministry as the main ringleader of the criminal structure dismantled through Operation Nest.
You can also read: Operation Nest: Preventive prison ratified for Emmanuel Rivera Ledesma
The decision was adopted considering that the defendant’s defense did not present new elements that would justify a variation of the coercive measure. Consequently, Rivera Ledesma will remain detained at the Najayo Men’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center while the judicial process advances.
During the hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office was represented by prosecutors Magalys Sánchez and Yuderky Utate. The court, presided over by Judge Keyla Pérez, set the full reading of the decision for September 18, while the continuation of the trial was scheduled for September 16.
More Read
Operation Nest
Operation Nest was executed on January 3, 2024, when the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police carried out 25 raids in different provinces, dismantling an alleged network dedicated to collecting money from hundreds of people through the sale of homes in real estate projects that, according to investigations, were never developed.
According to the indictment, the organization allegedly operated through the companies Indisarq, S.R.L., CRD Equipos Pesados, S.R.L., Grupo Wimar, S.R.L., and Auto Xperts AFM S.R.L., using multiple fraudulent maneuvers to offer non-existent properties and obtain millionaire economic benefits.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that Rivera Ledesma also used the names of well-known figures to generate trust among buyers and make them believe he had the backing of influential personalities, an assertion that is part of the evidence presented in the proceedings.
More Read
As the trial continues its course, the victims maintain their demand for justice and for the recovery of the money invested in the real estate projects that, as they denounce, never materialized.
