Court to hear appeal against dismissal of charges for Gonzalo Castillo

An appeals court is set to review a decision that dismissed charges of administrative corruption against former ministers Gonzalo Castillo and José Ramón Peralta. The Dominican Republic's Public Ministry has accused both officials of wrongdoing.

The case against Castillo and Peralta was initially dismissed on May 29 by Altagracia Ramírez, a judge at the National District's Fourth Instruction Court. However, the Public Ministry is challenging this decision.

In a related development, Judge Ramírez did order a trial for former Finance Minister Donald Guerrero and over thirty other defendants. These include former directors of the State Sugar Council (CEA) and National Cadastre, Luis Miguel Piccirillo and Claudio Silver Peña. The Second Chamber of the Criminal Court of Appeals was assigned the appeal through a random draw and has yet to set a hearing date.