Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco fails to indicate up for assembly with Dominican prosecutor

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to indicate up Thursday for a gathering with a prosecutor who’s investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías mentioned the investigation will proceed no matter Franco’s no-show. She waited for the All-Star participant and his attorneys at her workplace, however they did not seem.

Dominican prosecutors and police confirmed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 37 miles southwest of Santo Domingo. They didn’t discover the 22-year-old participant to request he seem for testimony.

Franco’s U.S.-based lawyer, Jay Reisinger, declined remark.

The Dominican Republic’s prosecutors’ workplace mentioned on Aug. 14 that Franco was beneath investigation due to postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Related Press has not been capable of confirm the reported posts.

Franco’s no-show might be as a result of his present attorneys could not have been summoned for the assembly. The AP had entry to a doc through which attorneys Luz Díaz Rodríguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodríguez had been dismissed by Franco.

Franco was having an All-Star season earlier than being sidelined in August, when authorities within the Dominican Republic started investigating claims that Franco had been in a relationship with a minor. 

MLB launched its personal investigation, putting Franco on the restricted record on Aug. 14 earlier than shifting him to administrative depart on Aug. 22 beneath its the joint home violence, sexual assault and youngster abuse coverage with the gamers’ affiliation. He was paid obtained service time whereas on administrative depart. There is no such thing as a timetable for a conclusion of MLB’s investigation and whether or not the outcomes of the probe may result in self-discipline by MLB.