Council Gets Testimony from Dominican Official
The D.C. Council deposed Vladimir Cespedes, the mayor of Sosua, Dominican Republic, last night as part of its widening probe into why a surplus city fire truck was donated to the town earlier this year, according to a source.
Cespedes appeared at a closed-door hearing before Council members Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), who are conducting a joint investigation.
Seeking the testimony of a foreign dignitary appears to be an extraordinary step that may indicate Cheh and Mendelson are making progress in their probe.
Cespedes is holding a press conference at 11:30 a.m. He will be joined an aide and his legal counsel as well as William Walker, director of the D.C. youth organization Faith Productions. Cespedes said he wants to talk about the donation.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration sent the fire truck to Sousa this spring, but the equipment was recalled when questions were raised about whether proper procedures were followed in making the transfer.
By Tim Craig |
July 28, 2009; 11:26 AM ET
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Tim Craig
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Posted by: concernedaboutdc | July 28, 2009 2:42 PM
I agree concernedaboutdc ... patiently waiting
Posted by: boo2 | July 28, 2009 3:16 PM
Let's see:
fire truck sent to the Dominican Republic without following proper channels,
contracts to a more expensive deal for a crime lab,
friends driving the city vehicle with a million dollar or so contract,
trips for which funding won't be explained ...
How much more will it take? What else has to happen?
Keep it up, Cheh and Mendelson. Probe, probe, probe. Something stinks at the surface so get to the bottom of it.
Posted by: southyrndiva | July 28, 2009 6:18 PM
I agree with concernedaboutdc, southryndiva and boo2. Keep it up! BTW the mayor of the DR wants to know how it can be re-embursed the $11,000 it paid for the truck to be moved to the Dominican Republic. Take it from the peaceaholics budget.
Posted by: candycane1 | July 29, 2009 9:57 AM
You can't take the $11,000 from the peacaholics budget, cause mo already spent it, probably on that back child support for all of the kids that he has.
Funny, now everyone involved just wants to "do a good deed" and it's all political issues getting in the way of "a good deed".
Yeah, right everyone knows what goes on with most of the peaceaholics, they are a cover up most of the ex-felons are still criminals. Why do so many of them have nice expensive cars, "right", they are able to afford it on their low wages, and plus (they deserve it they fight for their community) yeah right, it's a good organization with alot of criminals working for it.
Just don't snitch on them! The way of the streets. It's a matter of time before more information comes out on what peace they really keep over in SE.
Posted by: survivor2 | July 29, 2009 10:22 AM
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Keep up the probe Cheh/Mendelson....