Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SANTODOMINGO3105
2006-09-29 16:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:
DOMINICAN POLITICS III #6: GOVERNMENT THROWS THE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 003105
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA, EB, EB/IFD/OMA,
; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; TREASURY FOR OASIA-J LEVINE;
DEPT PASS USTR; USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN
DIVISION;
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS III #6: GOVERNMENT THROWS THE
BOOK AT FORMER EDUCATION MINISTER
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Michael A. Meigs
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 003105
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA, EB, EB/IFD/OMA,
; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; TREASURY FOR OASIA-J LEVINE;
DEPT PASS USTR; USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN
DIVISION;
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS III #6: GOVERNMENT THROWS THE
BOOK AT FORMER EDUCATION MINISTER
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Michael A. Meigs
1. (U) This is the sixth cable in our series on Dominican
politics in the third year of the administration of President
Leonel Fernandez.
(U) On September 28, Education Minister Alejandrina German
made corruption allegations against Milagros Ortiz Bosch, a
presidential candidate and senior leader of the opposition
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). Ortiz, who served
concurrently as Vice President and Education Minister from
2000 to 2004, is accused of absconding with $20 million that
was allocated for school meals for the underprivileged.
(U) German, a member of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party
(PLD),invited the press to witness her presentation of a
dossier to Santo Domingo district attorney Jose Hernandez
Peguero. The file allegedly includes the evidence on
malfeasance regarding school meals as well as other
irregularities. Hernandez said he would initiate an
investigation and would assign three prosecutors to the case.
(U) Ortiz has been meeting with her lawyers and, for the most
part, has not yet responded the allegations. She did note,
however, that "it is inexplicable that these charges have
been made more than two years after we turned over management
(of the Education Ministry)."
(SBU) While Dominican institutions are weak and are permeated
by corruption at nearly all levels, we have seen promising
moral leadership by President Fernandez and other senior
Dominican officials. Indeed, efforts to challenge impunity
appear to be accelerating, with the recent prosecution of
several well-connected figures for banking fraud and
associated crimes.
(C) We do not have information on the validity of the
allegations against Ortiz; however, the charges do not/not
appear to be part of the recent positive trend in
anti-corruption efforts. In fact, several aspects of
Tuesday's events cause concern. First, the presentation of
allegations by a non-law enforcement official (German) and
the appearance of the district attorney at what amounted to a
staged political event. Second, the timing of the charges is
suspect, not just because Ortiz left office two years ago,
but also because she engaged in a public war of words over
education policy with German just last month. Third, on
September 20 Ortiz was named as the candidate for the PRD's
2008 presidential nomination by an important party faction.
(C) The questions we will be asking as the allegations
against Ortiz play out include: whether the charges are a
cynical attempt to tarnish Ortiz's previously clean public
image; and, whether the ruling PLD -- with an eye on the 2008
presidential race and Ortiz's candidacy -- is taking
pre-emptive action against a perceived vulnerability on
corruption in the Fernandez Administration.
2. (U) Drafted by Peter Hemsch.
3. (U) This report and extensive other material can be
consulted on our SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
HERTELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, INR/IAA, EB, EB/IFD/OMA,
; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; TREASURY FOR OASIA-J LEVINE;
DEPT PASS USTR; USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN
DIVISION;
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS III #6: GOVERNMENT THROWS THE
BOOK AT FORMER EDUCATION MINISTER
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Michael A. Meigs
1. (U) This is the sixth cable in our series on Dominican
politics in the third year of the administration of President
Leonel Fernandez.
(U) On September 28, Education Minister Alejandrina German
made corruption allegations against Milagros Ortiz Bosch, a
presidential candidate and senior leader of the opposition
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). Ortiz, who served
concurrently as Vice President and Education Minister from
2000 to 2004, is accused of absconding with $20 million that
was allocated for school meals for the underprivileged.
(U) German, a member of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party
(PLD),invited the press to witness her presentation of a
dossier to Santo Domingo district attorney Jose Hernandez
Peguero. The file allegedly includes the evidence on
malfeasance regarding school meals as well as other
irregularities. Hernandez said he would initiate an
investigation and would assign three prosecutors to the case.
(U) Ortiz has been meeting with her lawyers and, for the most
part, has not yet responded the allegations. She did note,
however, that "it is inexplicable that these charges have
been made more than two years after we turned over management
(of the Education Ministry)."
(SBU) While Dominican institutions are weak and are permeated
by corruption at nearly all levels, we have seen promising
moral leadership by President Fernandez and other senior
Dominican officials. Indeed, efforts to challenge impunity
appear to be accelerating, with the recent prosecution of
several well-connected figures for banking fraud and
associated crimes.
(C) We do not have information on the validity of the
allegations against Ortiz; however, the charges do not/not
appear to be part of the recent positive trend in
anti-corruption efforts. In fact, several aspects of
Tuesday's events cause concern. First, the presentation of
allegations by a non-law enforcement official (German) and
the appearance of the district attorney at what amounted to a
staged political event. Second, the timing of the charges is
suspect, not just because Ortiz left office two years ago,
but also because she engaged in a public war of words over
education policy with German just last month. Third, on
September 20 Ortiz was named as the candidate for the PRD's
2008 presidential nomination by an important party faction.
(C) The questions we will be asking as the allegations
against Ortiz play out include: whether the charges are a
cynical attempt to tarnish Ortiz's previously clean public
image; and, whether the ruling PLD -- with an eye on the 2008
presidential race and Ortiz's candidacy -- is taking
pre-emptive action against a perceived vulnerability on
corruption in the Fernandez Administration.
2. (U) Drafted by Peter Hemsch.
3. (U) This report and extensive other material can be
consulted on our SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
HERTELL