VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #0687/01 1671658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161658Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2887
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 0585

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000687 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (B. PREMONT) 
DEPT FOR EEB/IFD/OIA (H. GOETHERT AND K. BUTLER) 
DEPT FOR L/CID (P. PEARSALL) 
LA PAZ FOR A/DCM (C. LAMBERT) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC EINV KIDE OPIC ECON DR
SUBJECT: 2009 REPORT ON INVESTMENT DISPUTES AND EXPROPRIATIONS 
CLAIMS FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
 
REF:  STATE 49477 
 
¶1. Below is the 2009 submission of the Report on Investment 
Disputes and Expropriations Claims for the Dominican Republic. 
The same will be sent via e-mail with all changes from the 
2008 marked as well as a list of the claimants. 
 
¶2. The United States Government is presently aware of twenty 
(20) outstanding claims (including two new claims in 2009 and 
two closed in 2008) by US persons/entities against the 
Government of the Dominican Republic (government).  In mid- 
2005 a USAID-sponsored consultant finished working with the 
Dominican Government on implementing a system for evaluating 
and resolving claims through the use of bonds.  In 1999, Law 
104-99 was passed, offering to claimants whose disputes arose 
on or before August 16, 1996, the option of circumventing the 
traditional method of claim resolution (at the "Bienes 
Nacionales"), and instead to seek compensation from a 
specially appointed Internal Public Debt Evaluation 
Commission, provided the claimants are willing to accept 
payment in bonds.  A total of 247 claims were solved under Law 
104-99 with USAID assistance.  This law expired on November 9, 
¶2005. 
 
¶3. Action on resolution of claims slowed when the Fernandez 
administration took office in August 2004.  The Office of 
Public Credit within the Ministry of Finance is responsible 
for expropriations and investment disputes.  The current 
Director has maintained his position for nearly three years. 
The Office of Public Credit states that many (13) claimants 
have either never registered their claim formally with the 
Office of Public Credit or the claims have not been passed to 
the Office of Public Credit from other Government offices. 
Before claims are passed to the Office of Public Credit, the 
claim must be recognized by the Government entity responsible 
for the expropriation.  Following this step, the Minister of 
Finance and the Debt Evaluation Commission must decide to add 
the case to the Commission's case load.  No cases have been 
added since 2005.  The Embassy raises these expropriation and 
investor dispute cases with the Government on a regular basis. 
In addition to frequent visits to the Ministry of Finance, the 
Ambassador sent letters to the President, the Minister of 
Finance and the legal advisor to the President requesting 
resolution of U.S. claims.  All information provided herein 
was last updated on June 11, 2008. 
 
¶4. a.  Claimant A 
 
b.  1999 
 
c.  Eight independent power producers (IPPs), four of which 
are US-owned, provided approximately 30 percent of the 
Dominican Republic's electricity.  In 1999, the IPPs entered 
into a "Definitive Agreement" with the government under which 
an escrow account was to have been established to permit the 
capitalization of the State electricity company's (Corporacion 
Dominicana de Empresas Electricas Estatales (CDEEE)) power 
generation and distribution facilities.  This escrow account 
was intended to receive payments from the new distribution 
companies and proceeds were to have been used to pay the IPPs 
for both current invoices and accumulated arrears.  The 
government did not live up to its commitment to implement this 
escrow arrangement; CDEEE failed to keep its payments current 
to the IPPs; and the government breached several agreements to 
make up the shortfall, which exceeded $100 million. 
 
In September 2002, the government announced that seven of the 
eight IPP's had agreed in principle to give up their existing 
long-term contracts.  To date, the government has successfully 
renegotiated only one new contract with these IPP's.  In 
February 2004, the government and CDEEE signed a short-term 
agreement with two of the Claimants whereby the government 
agreed to increase tariff rates, make payments on current 
invoices and negotiate accumulated arrears.  Although tariff 
rates were increased CDEEE and the government have 
continuously failed to make timely payments to Claimants A, 
resulting in cash flow problems and credit difficulties, and 
they are presently in default to Claimants A, and other 
generating companies in the sector, close to $400 million, in 
addition to the accumulated arrears, which stand at just below 
$200 million.  Of additional concern, the contracts with 
Claimants A are backed, in part, by guarantees.  Should 
Claimant A's lenders call those guarantees, the government 
faces liability of more than $425 million. 
 
The Government has informed Claimants A that it recognizes the 
outstanding debts owed and in mid-2008, Claimants A reached 
agreements with the distribution companies regarding the 
repayment of the accumulated arrears.  Monthly payments began 
in September 2008 and have continued as accorded since then. 
Payment are scheduled to continue through March 2016.  Some of 
the Claimants A have also accepted $250 million in bonds to 
pay part of the overdue current invoices.  The Ambassador sent 
a letter to President Fernandez in November 2008 urging 
payment of invoices.  No response was received. 
 
¶5. a.  Claimant B 
 
b.  1998 
 
c.  Claimant B purchased land located on the access road to 
Santo Domingo's Las Americas Airport.  In 1998, the Public 
Works Department built the ramp for a highway overpass on 
Claimant B's land.  Embassy contacted Public Works on behalf 
of Claimant B and was informed that Claimant B will be 
included in whatever settlement (i.e., cash payment or 
relocation) was to have been offered to Dominican landowners 
affected by this construction.  The government has yet to 
authorize funding to settle Claimant B's claim, and it fell 
too late to be included in the original bond issuance program. 
A possible government initial settlement offer will likely be 
in the form of bonds.  No time has been set for a decision. 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over three years, and the Office of Public Credit 
reported in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim 
registered in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to 
contact the claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶6. a.  Claimant C 
 
b.  1994 and various 
 
c.  In 1996, Claimant C discovered that various components of 
the government had, over time, built facilities (including an 
airport runway extension) on a parcel of land near the town of 
Barahona that Claimant C's company had owned since the 1920s. 
The Embassy raised this case on numerous occasions with senior 
Dominican officials and facilitated meetings between Claimant 
C and the government.  In 1999, Claimant C accepted an offer 
of settlement in partial payment of the claim of approximately 
$1.5 million, which the government paid in three equal 
payments.  Efforts by Claimant to recoup the remainder of its 
claim were reportedly rebuffed by the government, which took 
the position that the claim had been satisfied in full.  When 
the Embassy raised this claim with the Dominican government, 
the Office of Public Credit stated in May 2009 that there is 
currently no open claim registered in their files.  The 
claimant has not contacted the Embassy in over three years. 
Embassy personnel have tried to contact the claimant, but the 
claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶7. a.  Claimant D 
 
b.  1991 
 
c.  In 1988, the government asked Claimant D to build 1,000 
homes for sugar cane workers.  Claimant D never signed a 
contract with the government.  Materials were shipped to the 
Dominican Republic for the first phase of construction (30 
homes) and Claimant D had invoices showing that the materials 
arrived.  In 1989, Claimant D was informed that, due to heavy 
rains and a bad crop, construction of the homes would be 
delayed.  Claimant D arranged with port authorities to have 
the materials remain in the port until construction could 
begin.  In 1991, Claimant D discovered that all of the 
materials had disappeared.  Claimant D alleged that some of 
the materials were auctioned off, and some given to government 
entities.  Claimant D estimates losses at $1.3 million. 
Claimant D's case was disqualified under Law No. 104-99. 
Claimant D has since initiated legal action in a Dominican 
court. 
 
Embassy officials have been in direct contact with Claimant D 
and his lawyer.  In September 2008, the Office of Public 
Credit informed EconOff that Claimant D's case could not be 
paid with bonds because the debt could not be verified by the 
debtor institution (National Sugar Board) as this institution 
does not have original documents or a registration of the 
debt. In May 2009, the Office of Public Credit told EconOff 
that the National Sugar Board will not assume responsibility 
for the debt because the goods were lost or stolen before the 
Board ever received them.  EconOff relayed this information to 
Claimant D and his lawyer via telephone and email, both of 
whom were already aware of this assertion. 
 
¶8. a.  Claimant E 
 
b.  1983 
 
c.  Claimant E is the owner of land with an assessed value of 
approximately $1 million in the Puerto Plata area of the 
Dominican Republic.  In 1983, the government seized the land, 
which is now part of the Isabel de Torres Scientific 
Preserve.  Claimant E sought compensation, but none was 
approved.  According to Claimant E, the government previously 
valued the land at $330,000.  Claimant E reported that it has 
an assessment valuing the land at approximately $990,000. 
Claimant E is willing to negotiate, but to date there has been 
no resolution of this dispute. 
 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over two years, and the Office of Public Credit 
reported in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim 
registered in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to 
contact the claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶9. a.  Claimant F 
 
b.  1980?s 
 
c.  The government expropriated Claimant F's property in the 
1980's, which Claimant F valued at several million dollars. 
To date there has been no resolution.  Although the Embassy 
continues to include the matter in all discussions of 
investment disputes with the government, the claimant has not 
contacted the Embassy in over two years.   The Office of 
Public Credit stated in May 2009 that there is currently no 
open claim registered in their files.  Embassy personnel have 
tried to contact the claimant, but the claimant could not be 
reached. 
 
¶10. a.  Claimant G 
 
b.  1986 
 
c.  Pursuant to a presidential decree in 1986, the government 
expropriated 823,495.70 square meters of land belonging to 
Claimant G for use in the construction of the Maria Montez 
Airport in Barahona.  Claimant G has sought compensation for 
the land, improvements to the land, crops located thereon, and 
for three million cubic meters of raw materials extracted from 
the land.  The claim was brought to the attention of the 
Embassy in May 2001.  To date there has been no resolution. 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over two years.  The Office of Public Credit stated 
in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim registered 
in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to contact the 
claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
 
¶11.  a.  Claimant H 
 
b.  1987 
 
c.  Claimant H's contract claim involves the unpaid commission 
for loan guarantees on a real estate transaction brokered in 
¶1976.  Claimant H asserts he is entitled to 2% of $12 million, 
the loan guarantee amount.  Claimant H has a default judgment 
from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, entered in 
1987, for $240,000.  Claimant H asserted that with interest, 
the claim was valued at approximately $2 million.  To date 
there has been no resolution.  Although the Embassy continues 
to discuss this claim with the Dominican government, the 
claimant has not contacted the Embassy in over a year.  The 
Office of Public Credit stated in May 2009 that there is 
currently no open claim registered in their files.  Embassy 
personnel have tried to contact the claimant, but the claimant 
could not be reached. 
 
¶12.  a.  Claimant I 
 
b.  2003 
 
c.  In 1998 Claimant I and family responded to advertisements 
by the Dominican Republic seeking US investment by purchasing 
two adjacent parcels of land located in Cumayasa, San Pedro de 
Macoris.  In March of 2003 Claimant I, while visiting his 
property, discovered that almost 700 mature coconut trees had 
been bulldozed and other property destroyed by the Dominican 
Consejo Estatal de Azucar (CEA).  When Claimant I contacted 
the CEA office in Santo Domingo to request an immediate 
evacuation of the area a CEA engineer recommended that 
Claimant I instead request that the properties be replaced 
with other unspecified parcels in unspecified areas, citing 
the CEA had incurred expenses in grading the land and 
uprooting the fruit trees.  Claimant I immediately contacted a 
local attorney and initiated legal action in a Dominican 
Court.  The matter was reportedly pending a judicial decision. 
 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over two years.  The Office of Public Credit stated 
in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim registered 
in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to contact the 
claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶13.  a.  Claimant J 
 
b.  1992 
 
c.  In 1991 as an insurer to an international company with a 
contract to provide the sale of power station spare parts for 
the Dominican Corporacion Dominicana de Empresas Electricas 
Estatales (CDEEE), Claimant J paid $2,829,112.63 to the 
insured and accepted transfer of all rights to settlement in 
the dispute with the Dominican government.  On May 12, 1992 an 
Italian court ruled in favor of Claimant J and ordered the 
payment of approximately $5,369,781 (original sum plus accrued 
interest and expenses) by the CDEEE/government.  In early 
2003, government officials sought to retain a law firm in the 
US to negotiate a final settlement with Claimant J.  The 
retainer was never completed.  On May 27, 2004 the Ministry of 
Finance?s Legal Department issued its opinion on the issue. 
 
The Embassy had been in repeated contact with government 
officials in regard to this claim and brought it to the 
specific attention of the Ministry of Finance.  In 2006 the 
government issued an offer of $3,758,275 dollars.  The 
Claimant entered into negotiations with CDEEE in January 2008 
to reach resolution on the payment of interest.  An agreement 
between the Claimant and CDEEE was reached on January 22, 2008 
in the amount of $7,530,086.67, recognizing interest charges 
calculated through June 30, 2006.  This agreement was sent to 
the Ministry of Finance for processing.  The Expropriations 
Commission of the Ministry of Finance, which has the final 
decision on payment, referred the case to the Controlaria 
(Comptroller's Office) in March 2008 for an opinion citing a 
Ministry of Finance statutory inability to pay interest 
charges on claims.  In July 2008, the Comptroller's Office 
determined that no finding could be made on the claim because 
neither party remained in possession of original copies of 
certain documents relating to the 1991 rights transfer or the 
initial 1983 contract between the CDEEE and the insurer.  The 
Comptroller's Office recommended that no payment be made.  The 
Office of Public Credit told the Embassy it would follow the 
Comptroller's recommendation. 
 
Claimant J has obtained a confession of judgment and is 
presently seeking a lien on the CDEEE in order to collect the 
amount accorded in January, 2008.  In May 2009, the Office of 
Public Credit reiterated its inability to pay interest charges 
unless an original copy of the contract can be produced 
evidencing a contractual interest scheme. 
 
¶14. a.  Claimant K 
 
b.  1992 
 
c.  Claimant K owned 400 square meters of land bordering the 
road to the Santo Domingo Las Americas Airport.  The land was 
expropriated by the government in the 1990?s for highway 
expansion.  Claimant L's claim is being held up in the 
Ministry of Finance's Legal Department.  In order for Claimant 
K to receive compensation, the Legal Department must correct a 
clerical error on the title, which it committed at the time of 
the first disbursement.  The original disbursement incorrectly 
included the entire property instead of just the back-lot. 
Although Claimant K received reimbursement for his back-lot 
property, valued at RD 2,051,724 (paid in bonds), he has yet 
to receive payment for the front lot of his property valued at 
RD 360,000.  The Embassy has raised this case repeatedly with 
the Office of Public Credit, and has received updates 
regarding the Legal Department's work to remedy this error. 
In May 2009, the Office of Public Credit told EconOff that 
once Claimant K signs the title, in possession of the 
appropriately valid power of attorney, the title will be 
passed to the Land Tribunal for processing.  Claimant K has 
expressed frustration with the delays in the process but 
appears satisfied that the error will eventually be corrected 
and payment will be made. 
 
15.a.  Claimant L 
 
b.  2003 
 
c.  Claimant L is involved in a contractual dispute with the 
Dominican Attorney General concerning a telephone system for 
Dominican prisons.  Claimant L's company, in partnership with 
a California-based equipment maker, is having trouble 
activating the system in the prisons due to bureaucratic delay 
in the Attorney General's Office.  His telephone equipment has 
already been installed in the central offices of the Attorney 
General and the Najayo, Puerto Plata and La Victoria prisons. 
In 2004, when representatives of Claimant L went to activate 
the equipment at the central office, they were informed they 
could not operate the equipment until they had a letter of 
authorization from the Attorney General's office.  Claimant L 
signed a contract with the government on Sept 4, 2003.  A new 
presidential administration began on August 16, 2004 and was 
reportedly reluctant to honor the agreement of the previous 
administration.  Several years ago the Embassy met with the 
Deputy Attorney General for Prisons and the Dominican 
telecommunications regulating agency of behalf of Claimant L. 
 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over two years.  The Office of Public Credit stated 
in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim registered 
in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to contact the 
claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶16. a.  Claimant M 
 
b.  2005 
 
c.  On May 7, 2004, Claimant M and the company he represents 
signed a contract with the government agency, (Corporacion 
Dominicana de Empresas Estatales - CORDE), granting Claimant M 
and his company Agregados del Lago the right to exploit a 
government-owned salt mine in the area of Las Salinas, 
Province of Barahona, for a period of 25 years.  Claimant M 
alleges the government is not honoring the contract and is 
denying his company access to the area. 
 
In March 2005, the Comision de Reforma de la Empressa Publica 
(CREP) took the mine from Claimant M and allegedly did not 
permit him or his company access to the mine.  CREP, which is 
responsible for handing over state companies to private 
enterprises, stated to Claimant M that his contract was 
invalid because no public concession occurred, which would 
have required an approval by the Dominican Congress.  CREP has 
since then maintained control of the mine. 
 
Claimant M asserts that he has invested $650,000 in equipment 
and other investments including contractual payments and tax 
payments to the government.  The contract requires Claimant M 
to invest $1.5 million in the mine over the first five years 
of the contract and then $150,000 every year thereafter.  The 
Embassy contacted CREP, CORDE, as well as the General Director 
of Mining, to seek a resolution on the behalf of Claimant M in 
2006 and 2007.  CREP provided the Embassy their legal case as 
to why Claimant M?s contract is not valid. 
 
The Embassy discussed this case in 2007 with the Department's 
L Bureau and recommended to Claimant M that he should exhaust 
all channels to include legal channels to resolve this case. 
Claimant M asserted in early 2007 that he planned to take his 
case to court.  However, Claimant M has taken no additional 
action as of June 2009.  Since the claim has not been 
validated by the relevant government agency, the Office of 
Public Credit has no open claim in its files as of May 2009. 
 
¶17.  a.  Claimant N 
 
b.  2002 
 
c. Claimant N entered a contract with Unidad Corporativa 
Minera (UCM, a government-owned entity closed in 2004) to 
determine the economic viability of sulphate based gold 
reserves at the Pueblo Viejo mine.  UCM contracted Claimant N 
to conduct an environmental study, fish assessment, tailings 
dam sitings and an overall technical review.  The job was 
finished in June 2002, but UCM failed to pay Claimant N more 
than $125,629.  Embassy officials have been in contact with 
UCM and the Director General de Mineria.  Obtaining payment 
from the government has been difficult in part because the UCM 
no longer exists and changes at the Office of Public Credit 
have slowed processing. 
 
Although the Embassy continues to discuss this claim with the 
Dominican government, the claimant has not contacted the 
Embassy in over two years.  The Office of Public Credit stated 
in May 2009 that there is currently no open claim registered 
in their files.  Embassy personnel have tried to contact the 
claimant, but the claimant could not be reached. 
 
¶18. a. Claimant O 
 
b. 2004 
 
c. Claimant O had approximately 251 acres in the Parque 
Nacional del Este in the southeastern Bayahibe area 
expropriated by the Ministry of Environment in 2003.  The 
Ministry of Environment has verified that Claimant O's land 
was expropriated in 2003, and not in the 1970s as originally 
alleged, from Parque Nacional del Este.  The Office of Public 
Credit  sent a land assessor to do a final independent 
determination that the expropriated land falls within the 
Parque Nacional del Este.  In May 2009, the Office of Public 
Credit told EconOff that the assessor's report is complete and 
that the Ministry of Finance will proceed to make an offer to 
the Claimant.  As of June 2009, the Claimant had not received 
a settlement offer. The Embassy has been in constant 
communication with the Claimant and the Office of Public 
Credit regarding this case. 
 
¶19. a. Claimant P 
 
b. 2003 
 
c. Claimant P states that the land their family owned in Santo 
Domingo was expropriated by the government of the Dominican 
Republic.  The file is located at the Land Tribunal.  Since 
2003, Claimant P has tried to get reimbursed for the 
expropriated property.  The Embassy raised this claim with the 
Office of Public Credit in May 2009 and was informed that the 
case is pending authorization by the Minister of Finance and 
the Internal Public Debt Evaluation Commission to be included 
in the Commission's registry.  Once this process takes place, 
the debt can be paid.  The Embassy remains in contact with the 
Claimant and the Office of Public Credit concerning this 
claim. 
 
¶20. a. Claimant Q 
 
b. 2000 
 
c. Claimant Q states that the land their family owned near La 
Ruina was expropriated by the government of the Dominican 
Republic to build a road.  The government also allegedly 
dumped landfill on Claimant Q's property.  Claimant Q states 
that the government promised to give them a check, but 
reportedly never received this check.  Although the Embassy 
continues to discuss this claim with the Dominican government, 
the claimant has not contacted the Embassy in over three 
years.  The Office of Public Credit stated in May 2009 that 
there is currently no open claim registered in their files. 
 
¶21. a. Claimant R 
 
b. 1974 
 
c. Claimant R states that the land and businesses their family 
owned were expropriated by the government of the Dominican 
Republic in the early 1960's.  The following is a list of the 
companies that were operated by Claimant R: Industria Nacional 
del Vidrio, Sisal Dominicano, Consorcio Algodonero, Sacos y 
Tejidos Dominicanos, Fabrica de Sacos y Corderleria, Sal y 
Yeso Dominicanos.  A Supreme Court decision was made in 1970 
in favor of Claimant R.  The government reimbursed Claimant R 
for a portion of the land but did not reimburse the family for 
their businesses and other properties.  Claimant R states that 
the only reimbursement the family has received amounts to 
roughly 10 percent of the estate that was expropriated.  The 
Supreme Court decision estimated the amount of investment for 
the businesses at USD 34 million at the time of confiscation, 
which was over 30 years ago. 
 
The Office of Public Credit stated in May 2009 that there is 
currently no open claim registered in their files.  According 
to the Director of Public Credit and the President's counsel, 
only President Fernandez can authorize reimbursement, even 
though a Supreme Court decision demanded this action over 35 
years ago. 
 
Claimant R was not a U.S. citizen at the time of 
expropriation. Some of his children are U.S. citizens and have 
pursued this case with the Embassy, the State Department, and 
U.S. congressmen after the death of their father in 1989. 
Most Recently,  Claimant R met with Ministry of Industry and 
Commerce officials in August 2008. The Claimant told the 
Dominican government of its intention to pursue arbitration 
under CAFTA-DR provisions if an agreement could not otherwise 
be reached.  Claimant R said the amount of its claim was 
US$1.437 billion, but expressed a willingness to accept a 
combination of cash, bonds and properties in order to settle. 
The Claimant contacted the State Department in April 2009 to 
advise that they would seek $800 million in compensation and 
would not file a claim under CAFTA-DR but rather pursue a 
Section 301 claim in U.S. courts. 
 
¶22. a. Claimant S 
 
b. 1978 
 
c. Claimant S states that she and her late husband acquired 
1.5 acres of land from the Dominican Social Security Institute 
(IDSS) in 1976.  The land was expropriated by presidential 
decree in 1978.  No compensation was paid at that time or 
subsequently and the government currently rents the land for 
use by a hotel.  Claimant S has made contacts at various 
levels of the government but has not received any response or 
compensation for the expropriated land.  The Claimant was not 
a United States citizen at the time of expropriation but has 
since naturalized. 
 
The Embassy raised this claim with the Office of Public Credit 
in March 2009 and was informed that the Office does not 
possess any knowledge or information of this claim and that 
the Claimant must raise the claim to the Minister of Finance. 
The Embassy has communicated this information to the Claimant. 
 
¶23. a. Claimant T 
 
b. 2001 
 
c. Claimant T was contracted by the state-owned Santo Domingo 
Water and Sewage Corporation to provide professional 
supervision services alongside a Dominican company.  Claimant 
T was also hired in conjunction with a different Dominican 
company by the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources. 
Claimant T seeks a total of $1.36 million in unpaid invoices 
for the services rendered. 
 
The Ambassador raised this issue in letters to the two debtor 
entities and to the Minister of Finance in January 2009.  The 
Embassy also raised this claim with the Office of Public 
Credit in March 2009 and was informed that the Office does not 
possess any knowledge or information of this claim. 
 
 
BULLEN