Dominican Republic: Ten years in prison requested for those accused of receiving bribes from Brazil’s Embraer

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On May 3, the Dominican Republic’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested ten years in prison and a fine of US$7 million for those accused of allegedly receiving bribes from Brazil’s Embraer in the process of selling 8 Super Tucano airplanes to the Dominican Republic in 2008.

The company paid the Dominican state US$7 million in 2018 after admitting that it paid bribes of US$3.5 million to secure the sale to the country of the planes, the then-attorney general of the Republic, Jean Alain Rodríguez, said at the time.

The prosecutors asked the Third Collegiate Court of the National District to impose the sentence on former Dominican Minister of Defense Rafael Peña Antonio; Colonel Carlos Piccini Núñez, former director of special projects of the Dominican Republic Air Force (FARD), as well as businessman Daniel Aquino Hernández.

Also accused are the companies 4D Business Group and Magycor, to which the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the imposition of fines of 100 minimum salaries each.

Prosecutor Isis de la Cruz of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) explained that the Public Prosecutor’s Office presented its conclusions on the case today.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office representative explained that in the next hearing, the defenses would present their conclusions and later the counter-reply of the Public Prosecutor’s Office if necessary.

The accusing body began last November with the presentation of the indictment against the accused of alleged bribery, money laundering, and illicit enrichment.

The process was initiated in 2016, and the indictment was subsequently filed in 2017.

In August 2018, the Fourth Court of Instruction of the National District authorized the application of an abbreviated criminal trial against Embraer and imposed a fine of US$7 million for the payment of US$3.5 million in bribes for the sale of the Super Tucano aircraft.

The court thus approved an agreement between the company and the Dominican Justice authorities, by which the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer agreed to pay double the bribe payments.