Former Deputy Jean Tholbert Alexis (left) and hearing of Dominican Senator Felix Bautista
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THE SENTINEL STAFF
Saturday, 17 January 2015 01:34
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (defend.ht) - Former Deputy Jean Tholbert Alexis is assisting in the trial of Dominican Senator Felix Bautista whose firms received more than $325 million [US] by the Martelly regime which is alleged to have received millions in kickbacks for contracts.
Bautista is accused of gross embezzlement, falsification and concealment of information, abuse of power, favoritism and money laundering by the Dominican Special Prosecution Office of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) and the Attorney General's Office (PGR).
Dominican Judge Alejandro Moscoso Segarra rejected an appeal brought by Bautista's defense saying that he has parliamentary immunity. The judge explained that the constitution prohibits lawmakers from being jailed for their roles but does not prohibit that they be judged, so he ordered the case to continue.
Senator Bautista has had his assets seized by the Dominican government and his companies shut down since the start of the case. This has major implications in Haiti where contracts were changed by the Martelly regime from having services rendered by the state construction company CNE to Bautista's company. Michel Martelly is accused of having received millions in kickbacks for the contracts.
Deputy Alexis says he is in the Dominican Republic following the case closely to bring information back to the Haitian people. The former President of the Chamber of Deputies during the 49th Legislature said the Haitian Head of State and former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe could face criminal prosecution for their roles in the deals.
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