Judge accepts plea bargain from ex head of Dominican Republic gambling board in massive corruption case
Judge accepts plea bargain from ex head of Dominican Republic gambling board in massive corruption case
A judge has accepted a plea bargain from Oscar Arturo Chalas Guerrero, the former Director of Casinos and Games of Chance.
The decision came after Guerrero returned RD$20 million to the Dominican government and cooperated with an investigation involving other former ministers, leading to his release from any criminal charges.
The judge ruled to dismiss the criminal case against him, following the request from the prosecutors and based on specific articles of the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused provided important information that helped clarify the case and showed the involvement of others according to local press.
As part of this deal, he willingly returned RD$20 million to the Dominican government, with RD$17 million paid through certified checks.
In addition, he also returned two high-end vehicles valued at around RD$3 million.
As a result, the court lifted all restrictions on him, such as the ban on leaving the country and the requirement to report regularly, allowing Chalas Guerrero to be free from any criminal charges in the matter.
In April 2023, two Dominican legislators with ties to the betting industry confessed to paying monthly bribes to former officials from the gambling regulatory body. According to the Public Ministry, corrupt officials were reportedly receiving around USD 400,000 a month as part of a scheme that operated with the protection of the then Minister of Finance.
The corruption case involves more than a dozen politicians and former cabinet members. It has been alleged that from 2016 to 2020, senior officials created a network for illegal collections that could have amassed as much as RD 19.7 billion, or approximately USD 360 million, making it the largest corruption case in the Dominican Republic.
The former official admitted to his role in collecting money from illegal betting establishments to allow them to continue operating, as part of an agreement with the Public Ministry.
Guerrero, was admitted to a medical centre after suffering a heart condition, just hours after he admitted his responsibility in the charges against him in the corruption case known as Operation Calamar (Operation Squid).
During his testimony he acknowledged that former Minister of Finance Donald Guerrero was aware of these collections from the illegal betting establishments. He mentioned that he had previously discussed with Donald Guerrero the need to dismantle that “mafia structure,” which Guerrero initially agreed to. However, when revenue decreased, the minister instructed that the previous arrangement be reinstated.
The former official stated that they charged between RD 3,000 and RD 6,500 monthly to allow illegal betting establishments to operate and noted that, due to the large number of these establishments, he was unaware of the total funds collected.
He served as the director of Casinos and Games of Chance from September 1, 2016, to March 18, 2019.
