Dominican Republic Public Ministry to Appeal $7.5 M Corruption Fine

The Dominican Republic’s Public Ministry (MP) announced it will appeal a decision by Judge Patricia Alejandra Padilla Rosario of the Second Instructional Court of the National District that orders the MP to pay more than RD$7.5 million (about US$140,000) to Juan Francisco Álvarez Carbuccia, a defendant in the Intrant corruption case. The MP, through the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Administrative Corruption (Pepca), says the ruling is riddled with “serious procedural vices,” noting that the court had been stripped of the case on 24 October 2025 and should not have ruled on the matter. It also argues the judge misapplied the legal concept of an astreinte, turning it into an improper indemnity.

The appealed order also includes a claim for a Samsung S3 mobile phone valued at roughly RD$3,000. Pepca maintains the current criminal court lacks jurisdiction over the phone‑return claim, which it considers an administrative issue. The appeal must be filed within 20 days of notification. The broader case involves alleged fraud, laundering, embezzlement, and sabotage linked to the National Transit and Transportation Institute (Intrant) and former director Hugo Beras, with a trial scheduled for 11 August before the Third Collegiate Tribunal of the National District.