Peoples Journal, Apr. 2, 2019, Napoles Guilty Sandigan Insists.pdf

By Jester Manalastas JANET Ljm Napoles is guilty, the Sandiganbayan saidThe graft courfs

first Dvision vesterday upheld

the guit=ty verdict againsL convictdd plund'ere'r Napoles for the alleged misuse of the P224.5-milion P

riori ty Deielopmen

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porl barrel,

ol lormer Senator Rdmon "Bong" Revilla lr, In a resolution, the court derted the motion for reconsideration filed by Napoles saying the evidence presented by the pro<ecuti
con5idered to be the "main olunderer-,, In her appeal, Napoles said she could not be Lhe main culprit because she is a private indivjdual and the illgoHen wealth she supfosedly received onJy amounted to P44 millionOn the other haad, she said the evidence asainst Cambe, the nerL public oflicer after Revilla, show"ed he received kickbacks From Napoles worth ll3.g miljion, well below of the P50-million threshold ror a plurdei case.

But the Sandiganbayan said the amounts cited bv Napoles isonly a portion of the summary of rebate! submitted by scheme whistleblower Benhur Luy. lt

noted Cambe funther received P127.5 million in kickbacls from Napoles. "lt is dear that in the act of amassing and accu1ru- , lation of ill-gotten wealth, Cambe did n;t act alone. He had a pdvate individual accused-movant Napoles, who not just ajded him but was one in his desiqn to amass and accumulate ill-gotten wealth," the S;diganbayan said. Itadd_ed that Napoles cannot claim ignoranceofthe . scheme lor she "took part in the conce-Dtion or'nlanning of how lo divert the PDAI for private gain.,, Napoles cljin that"Luy ard ^ Ihe court alsobedenied CAmb\sbould the ones iharged \aith conspirary, saving it was her \aho led the Liquidation pati of tlie

"A conspiracy bet\^ een Cambe and Luv to the eyclusion of Napoles couJd not be possible,'because Lhe

(non-government organizationsj, tluough which

lhe funds were di\ erled

ra

ere all creations ofNapoLes.

Napoles has control of the bank accounts of'these NGOs," the ruling added. Napoles and Cambe, former chief of staff of Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla, \^ ere sentenced to life impris.

onnent,

"While the coult did not find sufficienl evidence for lhe pronouncement of gui lton the partolRevilla,there is overwhelming evidence presenLed to show that his co-accused, Canibe, who id a gor emment official together with accused movantJdiet Lim Napoles are the main plunderers in this case," the ruling said. "In fact. every time a big withdrawal-is made from these bdJ* accounts, it wai Napoles whom the banl

calls lo verify or confirm $e withdrawals, instead of the NGO's (non-government organizations) president

or officers," the rulhg addecl. ' Wior Rtlan ponce pacpac!

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