[LfYaRf1S]

My point Golo was not what Hipolito (or the PRD) have done to the countrey's economy, or what they have not done for the people of the country, nor what the PRSC or PLD would do in similar situations, it was what WE can do to have an influence on the future of the country. How do WE get the message to the voting Dominican poplulace as to what is ACTUALLY happening & what the implications are, so that they can use their votes to ensure better control of the country's finances?

You that have a vote, have a chance (albeit small) to make your point at the ballot box, we who are not yet citizens of the DR need a means of communicating to that voting populace. What is the best media for this? Can DR1 have any effect? Does it WANT any influence?

Perhaps I ought to start with the question "Is anyone out there INTERESTED in telling the Government what it wants to see happening in the country?" "Is anyone interested in trying to influence the voting masses?" - Grahame.

[eXC3Kvnn]

Golo
Keep up the good work informing us camposinos of whats going on in the big city ,its a lot more convenient for me to read your posts than to read the newspapers as you recap everything in a neat little package.Rob lets get Golo a Pulitzer for investigative reporting,or would a howitzer be more practical?

[Abnorbprootly]

Dominicans left?.... of course aside from TW.
Is this the upper crust everybody is talking about? I hear there are individuals that have in their garage(s) not one but two Humvies. What a country!

On the positive side, I also read not long ago that poverty is diminishing in the DR as more and more Dominicans are rising above the poverty line.
Trickle-down economics works ladies and gents!
There's a lot of money flowing out of some people's pockets.
Viva la republica!

[Romarionsion]

Take for instance the fact that one of our top three banks...we all know which banks I am talking about and it's not Baninter(I will not mention the name until it comes out public or becomes such an outrageous street rumor that I cannot be accused of starting the rumor) has issued up to now at least 10 credit cards to our suspected "King of Thieves" or Pepegate himself. Each credit card exceeds limits of over $200,000 each. Of course, at my last information, all the cards are in good standing with recent important payments made to it.

The question would be...is this bank involved too? How much? Why has he been issued so many credit cards from the same bank? Have these cards been used to crossover funds? and on and on....

The other question is how much more has Pepegate influenced the entire financial system. Has these team of sophisticated crooks permeated a large number of financial institutions and how have they gone undetected so far. Are these questions going to be answered by an "user friendly" board of review and investigation team, as it is set up now?

Why are they being slated for military tribunals? Why not civilian justice? They attacked civilian targets, not military ones. Even the planes were private enterprise.


TW

[accelieda]

Mido, some offical information is in today's Listin online. See: http://www.listindiario.com.do/cuerp...blica/rep1.htm Regards, PJT

[Abnorbprootly]

..

[viagradiscounttt]

BushBaby,

We email just under 12,000 people daily and are read online by 2,500+ daily.

Our email list (20% local subscribers) has almost every major businessman and influential individual here in the DR. We email all the embassies, consulates and associations etc.

We are trying to do our bit...

[Romarionsion]

The greatest corruption case ever in DR has just erupted after a week of covering up the reasons. The Presidential credit card issued by Baninter for use by President Hipolito Mejia in his trips abroad and locally, has been used by his own staff( at this time being investigated his chief of security Colonel Pepe Goico, his inseparable companion, among others) to commit the most lucrative fraud.

It appears from the preliminary investigations that Hipolitos crew not only used the credit card to pay hotels, meals, car rentals and for the president,s shopping, but that these group bought luxury cars in DR and abroad, yatchs, luxury apartments, houses, weapons for personal use and other luxury items. Cash money was also withdrawn and shipped abroad.The amounts are so great as to escape reality!!! No black hole in our galaxy can absorb so much cash. We are talking about, for starters, $40,000,000 dollars!!!!!

If something like this ever happened in the United States or any country in Europe, the president would have resigned by now. But knowing our country, this whole affair will be cleanly laundered to show that the President was used, and his reponsibility denied. If the Bank had not warned the President this could have gone on for the next two years. Yet Baninter found this out back in September, yet it is now when action has been taken by raiding the Presidential plane and helicopter.

God save us from the PRD government and its corrupted officials.

TW

[bs44MhUW]

Yes I am a PRD whore. This is the way to get things done in DR. You think, you alone can change the way dominicans do business on daily basis? Like they say, go with the flow or drown. No, I don't like what they are doing to this country, but I am not going to go against them and get crushed. No sir, I am happy to be kissing PRD's asses and living a good life. Maybe next election time around, I might be good friends with another leading party. Who knows.... life goes on in DR.

[Peertantyb]

Originally posted by Tony C


Nobody of the true Dominican Upper Crust is a member of the PRD. Agreed. People from that group tend to keep a low profile mainly to avoid being confused as a PRD "noveaux" rich. With few exceptions, rarely will you see upper class dominican publicly (sp?) involved in politics.

[viagradiscounttt]

I think people call it "Mejia Mafia" due to the fact that he personally appointed some of the people involved. Some of the corruption is so blatant and obvious to all it's scary.
Just look at some of the loans, the electricity contracts, the railway etc etc.

Turning a blind eye is as good as indorsing it...

[DoterForeva]

I have no opinion on the honesty of Hipolito. I don't have the info to have an opinion on that. It isn't looking good though.

I liked the projects that were announced by his administration. Those were the correct things to do to pull the country ahead, including the loans needed to pay for them. Now if the money gets stolen, squandered, and the projects don't come to fruition, that's a separate issue.

All of us have had a scumbag friend from time to time, or at least worked with one, or we have had friends that thought WE were questionable. Hipolito is jailing his own corrupt people. That's a start. We'll see. Maybe he's a crook, maybe not. But he IS responsible. I'd say that he should step down, but I have nothing that tells me his replacement would be better.

People during his election said he was an idiot, not too bright. Maybe that's the case then, and he didn't know and he was just inexperienced, naive, his administration sucks, and/or he isn't too bright. Not good, but not character flaws. Let's reserve judgement at least until the initial investigation report is made public.

[Noxassope]

Hmmmmm....

I wonder if AZB was in that PRD Chopo's entourage that tried to crash my niece's weding reception?

Tony C.

[mortgrhhh]

Golo,

Your posts have been very interesting and informative.

I thought it would be a great idea if these were posted in a spanish language dominican newspaper. Maybe you could submit them to an editoral page or similar? The more people who know about this the more likely it will be stopped.

Stephen

[LICraig]

From far away....and only using information gathered over the internet...it has been clear to me that this DR goverment has been stealing lots of money....when I looked at the original US$500Million bond sale over 6 months ago, it was blatantly obvious that at least half of that money was stolen...it was all there in black and white at the official goverment web sites..what we see now and will see in the future is exactly HOW they have been pocketing the money.... I am truly sick to my stomach when I hear all this... what can be done, I dont know....but I hope that those party to the Mejia Mafia get whats coming to them.

[Lauramalina]

Diablo, Bancredito issues government credit cards also?!?!

[eliniaguilefp7m]

Where is that poster who recently was incensed about the Catholic Church not giving Hippo and his government the credit due them for their efforts to wipe out corruption?

[cheaploans]

Hi TW,

please could you name a source for this information, something like a newspaper article or similar?

Thank's Mido

[Romarionsion]

CNN is wrong by a light year!! The figure I gave of $US40 million is closer to the "Pepegate". The word on the streets is that there about 10 apartments and houses alone valued over $8 million dollars. In cash alone, they were taking US$18,000 a day in the airplane to be deposited in safe banks in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. It is also a big rumor that former President Aleman may have given advice to these gangsters, which is why he was being looked upon positively by DR officials for political asylum to protect him and his family, some who are here, from prosecution. Even Montesino has gotten in the corruption act. The word is that he has laundered millions by buying land in the Mirador Norte Area, where several luxury apartments are being constructed under fictitious names near the Shell gas station on Romulo Betancourt Avenue.

Several gas station permits were issued and gas stations built with this money from Pepegate. Money was spread around handily to cover up and the number of people that could be involved with this could hit more than 100. This thing is all the way up Hippos neck and several of his key men. They are just covering this up worse than Watergate. I would not be surprised if the Chief of the Armed Forces resigns, to try to avoid getting wet in his oily mess. The Baninter bank dude was seen sometimes "guallando goma" on Lincoln Avenue on weekends and sometimes would stop in the middle of the street in his flashy $2.000.000 car with two cellulars in his ears!!!! As soon as the Piantini fancy shops would get their new merchandise this guy would clean up the shops of the best merchandise. Even Nazir Atallah could not compete with this guy when meeting face to face at the Nautica shop buying expensive sportswear. Another shopping hangout was Eponymo and the shops in the same mall, where one of Hippos assistants got twenty bullets up his mouth.

But more trouble is coming ahead. There is another biggie coming up with the service station/food shop/gas station at the Americas Highway "concession". This is a $300 million pesos monster!! Nobody knows who is getting this no-bid juicy contract. But the word is out that someone big in the Public Works Department owns the rights. There is also the "blackhole" across from the tower at Banco Popular, the huge lot that was practicly given away by the government to build one of the largest commercial centers in America. This was formerly a site for the 2003 Pan Am Games housing. The INVI its up to its neck in corruption with more apartments and houses being issued to government officials instead of the poor. Then there is the Northwest Aqueduct for the Santiago Rodriguez province area, where no shovel has been seen digging the first whole.

There is a huge mess with Dominicana Airlines. There are lawsuits all over by former employees who were never given their compensation. There are lawsuits even in Venezuela. Yet the airline was liquidated to pay off friends.

Radio station transmission rights are being sold left and right. Over 100 stations that were not friendly to Hippo were closed to issue rights to PRD friends. Even Hatuey de Camps got his TV station back(Channel 6). Channel 15 which belonged to the Armed Forces was "privatized"!!!

Nazir Atallah, Hippos buddy has the most lucrative business you can think off. He has a foundation that opened up about 10 computer schools using millions in NGO money forcing private schools to close down because of this monopolistic practice. Atallah goes around giving "scholarships" on his behalf, yet the money comes from the government budget. He has even taken over green areas of the city, such as the triangle intersection of El Malecon with Lincoln Ave. to show off his name He also took the median on Lincoln Avenue. Can Trujillo match this guy??? When will he build his statue? Atallah shops regularly at the poshiest stores in Plaza Bolera and buys clothes by the truck load. His brother runs the Banking Industry Regulatory Board...Hahahahaha!!! His gall reaches the point where if you want a scholarship you have to be one of his stooges at political rallies. But you also have to pay $750 to get the overpriced $4500 scholarship. The other schools only charge from $1000 to $2500 for the same courses.

TW

[LICraig]

The fact of the matter is that at least half of more than US$1Billion is unaccounted for. Hippo can't spend it all himself, and as Golo says, he has to spread the wealth.

The fact that we have uncovered upto US$100million in fraud only begs the question......how much of the money has NOT been uncovered...the total number will be in the US$500million range.

Ask yourself this, if the money was not stolen, but put to productive uses, then why is the free market severely punishing the exchange rate? Why are foreign companies bailing out? Its pretty darn clear.