years in prison for money laundering. Marcos Báez Cocco, ex-vicepresident of the Bank, was also found guilty, and sentenced to 8 years. The accusations against two other defendants, former BANINTER executive Vivian Lubrano, as well as the secretary of BANINTER Board of Directors Jesús M. Troncoso, were dismissed for lack of evidence. The sentence has been widely criticized for its severe contradictions, but more specially because it's been alleged that the judges were pressed by "the powers that be". Noted journalist Miguel Guerrero wrote in his column of the daily El Caribe that the defrauders of BANINTER have been protected "by a dark combination of political, economic, mediatic and ecclesiastical powers" and that the sentence was a mamotreto". In fact, Guerrero went to the extent of saying that everything was fixed beforehand, and the defendants and their lawyers knew it, as did those representing the Central Bank. Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions In February 2008, the case went to the Court of Appeals of Santo Domingo and the Court upheld the sentence against Báez Figueroa, Báez Cocco and Alvarez Renta. The decision that had favored Vivian Lubrano was reverted, and she was sentenced to five years in prison and RD$ 18 billion in damages. Charges against Troncoso Ferrua were definitely dropped. In July 2008, the Dominican Supreme Court confirmed the decision against the defendants. Nevertheless, Lubrano allegedly fell into a "deep depression" and suffered from "panic attacks", and she never went to prison. After much debate, President Leonel Fernández gave her full pardon, on December 22, 2008. References External links BANINTER promotion. Defunct banks Banks of the Dominican Republic Finance fraud Banks disestablished in 2003 Banks established in 1986 1986 establishments in the Dominican Republic