The Fourth Court of the National District, chaired by Judge Yanibet Rivas, concluded the morning hearing and ordered that the substantive trial against Freddy Núñez Jorge and Evaristo Ozoria Rodríguez – president and treasurer of the Dominican Federation of Modern Pentathlon (Fedopem) – continue on Monday, October 19. The two defendants are accused of corruption, document falsification, aggravated fraud, criminal association and money laundering.
Misappropriated funds for personal expenses
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the charges stem from the handling of funds from sports grants transferred by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation (Miderec) between 2013 and 2023. It is estimated that Fedopem administered RD$65 972 975,89. The prosecution alleges that part of this money was earmarked for personal expenses of the officials, including the purchase of a Jeep Cherokee, a Kia car, medication, travel and insurance.
Investigations and evidence
The investigation began after a series of reports on the program N Investiga, presented by Nuria Piera, which pointed to irregularities in the federation’s management for more than a decade. The operations included raids in the provinces Santo Domingo and María Trinidad Sánchez, as well as in the Fedopem offices located in the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center. In these proceedings, documents were collected that support the accusations of mishandling public funds.
Court decision and coercive measures
The court held that there is a likelihood of conviction and accepted the evidence presented by the parties. The coercive measures that prevent the accused from leaving the country and require periodic appearances before the court remain in effect. Prosecutors Ernesto Guzmán, Yoneivy González and Aurelio Valdez, from the specialized unit for prosecuting administrative corruption (Pepca), filed the charges before the Public Ministry and requested that the case be sent to trial.
Relevance of the case for Dominican sport
The process has been described as the first criminal proceeding for corruption within Dominican sport. The Constitution establishes that the State must guarantee incentives and support for sports development, and funds must be managed with transparency. The prosecution states that the defendants issued federation checks to cover personal expenses and used false concepts to justify consumptions, in addition to fraudulent maneuvers in the settlements before Miderec.
Legal framework and charges
Freddy Núñez Jorge and Evaristo Ozoria Rodríguez will face charges for alleged violations of articles 145, 147, 148, 265, 266 and 405 of the Dominican Penal Code, as well as articles 3 and 4 of Law 155‑17 on money laundering and terrorist financing.
Source credits: n.com.do
Note generated automatically from the sources cited in the text. Found an error? Email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it.
