Santo Domingo, RD.
Since last May, when the United States arrested the deputy of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) Miguel Gutiérrez Díaz, accused of drug trafficking, his disciplinary situation in the legislature remains intact.
So far, the Disciplinary Council of the Chamber of Deputies has not initiated any process to strip him of his curule in the face of the accusations made against him.
According to the president of the Disciplinary Council, Jesús Manuel Sánchez, in talks with Listín Diario, they have not yet taken any action against Gutiérrez, because he is accused by the United States and the National Congress has no “official information “of the judicial process that is followed against legislator.
“We as the Disciplinary Board have not made any decision regarding the Miguel Gutierrez case because he is being charged by the United States of America and at this time we have no official information from the United States. ‘judicial process and internal regulations speak of indiscipline of the Chamber of Disputes,’ he says.
He explains that the internal regulations establish internal disciplines for deputies and when the accusation transcends the judiciary, as in this case, it is necessary for the Dominican Republic, the Attorney General’s Office, to file a formal indictment to initiate a constitutional process. in Article 83 of the Magna Carta, which gives powers to the Chamber of Deputies, to accuse officials who have committed serious misconduct in the exercise of their functions.
In the same way, they could take away his parliamentary immunity while the legislature is open to be tried but not being in the country does not have any impunity.
Sanchez adds that until there is a ruling or an investigative measure that the United States requires the Dominican Government and thus act but “at this time neither the Dominican State nor the House of Representatives has been notified of the process “.
“We as the Disciplinary Board have not made any decision regarding the Miguel Gutierrez case because he is being charged by the United States of America and at this time we have no official information from the United States. ‘judicial process and internal regulations speak of indiscipline of the Chamber of Deputies,’ says the chairman of the Disciplinary Council of the Chamber of Deputies.
Faced with this situation, the National Congress has the power to remove a deputy from office because he was elected by popular vote.
After its capture
According to the website of the Chamber of Deputies, Miguel Gutiérrez Díaz is still active in the commissions of Modernization and Reform and Finance.
He has presented 8 excuses for missing the meetings, after its taking in May of this year and in the same way, from June 16 to August 25 of this year in all the sessions that the full of the Chamber of Deputies, Gutiérrez apologizes for not attending. The portal does not glimpse the excuse argued by the legislator.
Situation of Gutiérrez in the PRM
Although the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) reported at the time of the dam that people who break the law within this political organization will have to face a disciplinary process that would lead to their expulsion, the case of Miguel Gutiérrez has not been presented before his National Prosecutor.
Tony Rodriguez, who acts as the national prosecutor of the ruling party, understands that still this political organization cannot make any decision, because in the country there is no record and the party authorities are waiting for the decision of the American court to see the implications it has for the Dominican Republic.
“You can’t take action against a person violating the principle of innocence. We have to wait, I understand that’s what the authorities have done, wait for that fate for then we act here,” he explained.
On Tuesday, news broke that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had asked a South Florida court to postpone the April 2022 trial against him, where he faces drug charges.