The Chamber of Deputies Commission could not find enough evidence to rule on these five. According to Dominican law, the deputies are to be disciplined by this commission, since government officials cannot be tried while in office. The director general of Customs, Lic. Miguel Cocco, nevertheless, in an interview published in Hoy newspaper on 7 October, insisted that one deputy is involved in the mafia ring that imported vehicles with false documents. The legislator has denied the charge, but admitted that with the exoneration he sold, the mafia attempted to introduce a Mercedes Benz that had been stolen in the United States.
Legislators receive two full tax exemptions on imported vehicles.
Antonio Beato, president of the Asociacion Nacional de Agencias Distribuidoras de Vehiculos, the association that groups vehicle retailers, said that those involved in the mafia had contacts in customs, port authoritiy, the shipping agencies, income tax bureau and other government departments. According to Cocco, the three principal persons involved are Edwin Pujols, Felipe Angulo and Jose Tabar, currently in the United States. He said that contacts have been made with the U.S. government for their deportation to the Dominican Republic for trial. All rights reserved. Revised October 8, 1997.