Spanish
SANTO DOMINGO. – The Attorney General of the Republic, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, stated this Thursday that, for the first time in the country's history, corruption will be classified as an autonomous crime in the new Penal Code recently approved and in the Public Procurement and Contracting Law.
"Any malicious act that affects public assets may be sanctioned as an act of corruption, without needing to depend on another criminal conduct," explained Reynoso when giving a conference on the importance of these reforms for transparency.
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The magistrate highlighted that the new criminal offenses were aligned with the Anti-Money Laundering Law, establishing penalties ranging from 3 to 10 years in prison, in addition to the possibility of accumulating sentences. She emphasized that the new legal framework, which will come into force in 2026, is in line with the International Convention against Corruption and with the legislations of more advanced countries in the matter. Reynoso recalled that corruption directly impacts national development. "When an act of corruption is committed, funds that should go to health, education, or security are diverted. Who is the victim? Society," he pointed out. With more than two decades as a university professor and her experience in the application of criminal laws, she assured that the approved Code "is a positive and necessary piece", although she acknowledged that there are still aspects that can be improved.
