The defense of former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez has requested that the Second Collegiate Court of the Distrito Nacional exclude 1,454 documentary and expert evidences presented by the Public Ministry in the corruption case against him. The attorneys argue that some of the evidence was obtained or processed through irregular procedures and therefore should not be admitted at trial. They also contend that the evidence contradicts the findings of an audit conducted by the Chamber of Accounts on the financial and administrative operations of the Attorney General’s Office for the period 2017‑2019. The audit report, which the defense says issued an unqualified opinion on the institution’s budget execution, was allegedly ignored by the Public Ministry. Rodríguez’s legal team maintains that the alleged irregularities in the collection and handling of certain evidences undermine their validity in the judicial process. The court is expected to review the objections and decide which documents and expert reports may be used during the proceedings. The case is part of a broader investigation by the Public Ministry into a purported administrative corruption scheme that allegedly operated during Rodríguez’s tenure. Prosecutors claim that Rodríguez and other defendants were involved in irregularities that caused the Dominican Republic more than RD$6,000 million in economic damage. The defense seeks to have the evidence supporting these allegations excluded. No decision has yet been made by the court regarding the exclusion request. The trial will proceed according to the judicial schedule while both sides maintain their positions on the admissibility of the evidence and the charges. Rodríguez and the other defendants remain presumed innocent until a final judgment is issued.
Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto