After more than five hours of waiting, judges go up to read the sentence in the Antipulpo case

Santo Domingo.– After a delay of more than five hours, the judges of the Second Collegiate Tribunal of the National District finally entered the courtroom to announce their decision in the Antipulpo case, which involves Juan Alexis Medina Sánchez and more than 20 defendants accused of alleged acts of corruption committed during the government of former President Danilo Medina. The court, composed of magistrates Clarivel Nivar, Clara Castillo, and Jisell Soto, had postponed the reading of the verdict to 5:00 p.m. this Wednesday, but it was at 10:10 p.m. when they began the session to read the sentence that will define the judicial fate of the accused.

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In the courtroom, the accused were present since the afternoon, along with their lawyers, representatives of the Public Ministry, and a large presence of the national press, awaiting the entry of the magistrates. According to the indictment, Juan Alexis Medina would have used his family ties with the then-president of the Republic to articulate a corporate network that benefited from contracts, works, and state acquisitions through fraudulent maneuvers. He is accused of crimes such as money laundering, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and influence peddling, while the other defendants are charged with criminal association, fraud against the State, and organized crime. The Public Ministry requested sentences ranging from 5 to 20 years in prison for the main defendants, including José Dolores Santana Carmona, Wacal Vernabel Méndez Pineda and former Fonper officials, as well as millionaire fines, the seizure of assets and disqualification from holding public office for 10 years. With the reading of the verdict beginning, the process is expected to conclude tonight, ending one of the most extensive and media-covered corruption trials in the country’s recent history.