Spanish
Santo Domingo.– A few minutes after the hearing began in the Second Chamber of the Court of Appeal of the National District, the main defendant in the Senasa case, Santiago Hazim, was taken to the bathroom by security personnel, after showing a downcast and visibly weakened appearance.
Hazim, former director of the National Health Insurance (Senasa), was in the hearing that knows a request for variation of the coercion measure imposed against him when, just minutes after the session began, defense and security personnel accompanied him to the bathroom.
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It is recalled that Hazim's defense attorney has recently warned about the deterioration of his health, pointing out that his client has lost between 70 and 80 pounds of weight since being held in pre-trial detention, and that he suffers from multiple sclerosis, a condition that, according to the defense, was already recognized even by a first-instance judge in previous rulings. These statements have prompted the defense to arrange for the formation of a medical board to officially certify his state of health and, with this, to support his request for modification of the current coercion, which consists of 18 months of pre-trial detention in the context of the investigation for alleged irregularities and millionaire embezzlement from the state health system. Upon leaving, the defendant returned to the courtroom to continue with the legal process. As the day unfolds, the court is expected to address the defense's arguments focused on Hazim's medical condition, as well as the modification of the coercive measure.
