The Appeals Court of the National District has ratified the preventive prison sentence against Santiago Marcelo Francisco Hazim Albainy and other accused in the Senasa case. This decision reaffirms the solidity of the investigation by the Public Ministry, which uncovered a corrupt network responsible for diverting over 14,000 million pesos from the National Health Insurance.
The stolen funds came from resources allocated for medical care for over seven million affiliates. The Deputy Prosecutor Wilson Camacho, of the General Directorate of Prosecution, led the hearings that culminated in the early hours of Thursday. “The strength of our investigation is recognized again by the court”, Camacho declared, highlighting the gravity of the damage to the public health system.
Accused and measures confirmed in the Senasa case
The court, presided over by the magistrate Isis Muñoz and composed of Teófilo Andújar and Luis Omar Jiménez, dismissed appeals from Hazim Albainy, Gustavo Enrique Messina Cruz, Germán Rafael Robles Quiñones, Francisco Iván Minaya Pérez, Rafael Luis Martínez Hazim, Ramón Alan Speaklear Mateo and Ada Ledesma Ubiera. The 18-month coercive measure remains in place for all.
Other co-accused such as Eduardo Read Estrella, Cinty Acosta Sención and Heidi Mariela Pineda Perdomo are under house arrest, with economic guarantees and travel restrictions. The court rejected arguments of unconstitutionality regarding Article 377 of the Penal Code, clarifying that preventive prison ensures presence throughout the process, not just the collection of evidence.
Context of Operation Cobra in the Senasa case
Origins and investigative advances
The Senasa case emerged from a journalistic investigation in the program “N Investiga” by Nuria Piera, which alerted to irregularities in health contracts. This led to Operation Cobra, the initial phase of arrests in December last year by Judge Rigoberto Sena Ferreras. Camacho promised more breakthroughs: “There will be version 2.0 soon, everyone will appear”.
- Damage: Over RD$14 million diverted.
- Affected: 7+ million Dominicans.
- Prosecution team: Camacho, Héctor García, Yudelka Holguín, Ernesto Guzmán Alberto and Aurelio Valdez.
Experts in anti-corruption highlight that this ruling strengthens the fight against diversion of public funds in entities such as Senasa, which covers 80% of the population according to official data from 2025. The Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso oversees the process, promoting accountability in health.
Implications for Dominican justice
The ruling emphasizes the revisable nature of the prison sentence, but confirms the 18-month legal limit. Analysts point out that the Senasa case exposes chronic vulnerabilities in health insurance tenders, with precedents such as audits in 2024 that revealed overcosts in medicines for RD$2,000 million annually. This judicial victory motivates the Public Ministry to deepen investigations, ensuring compensation for taxpayers.
In the Senasa case, justice advances firmly, protecting vital resources for national health.
