Ex-Palawan Governor Mitra faces charges over fertilizer fund scam
Former Palawan Gov. Abraham Mitra (INQUIRER PHOTO)
Former Palawan Gov. Abraham Kahlil Mitra, the newly appointed chairperson of the Games and Amusement Board, has been charged with malversation of public funds and graft for the alleged anomalous disbursement of P3 million in fertilizer funds when he was a congressman in 2004.
In the charge sheet, the Office of the Special Prosecutor accused Mitra of malversation of public funds for allegedly misappropriating through abandonment or negligence P3 million in fertilizer funds.
The prosecution said he allowed the release of P1.95 million or 65 percent of the total P3 million fertilizer funds to the project implementor GabayMasa Development Foundation when he was second district representative of Palawan.
The prosecution said Mitra allowed GabayMasa to embezzle the funds when he approved the release of 65 percent of the total fund, which was a “flagrant violation” of the March 2004 memorandum of agreement (MOA), which only allowed for the transfer of 20 percent fertilizer funds to the foundation upon the signing of the MOA.
The prosecution said Mitra later hastened the release of another P1.05 million in December 2004 despite the failure of GabayMasa to submit and comply with the reportorial requirements in the MOA.
The fertilizer funds form part of the Farm Inputs and Farm Implements Program in 2004 during the administration of former President Gloria Arroyo. The anomalies surrounding the fund meant for indigent farmers came to be known as the fertilizer fund scam.
Mitra was also charged with one count of graft or violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for criminally giving undue benefit to GabayMasa and causing injury to the government when he selected GabayMasa as project implementor even though it was not qualified.
In an earlier statement, the Ombudsman cited the Commission on Audit (COA) validation report which revealed that GabayMasa was not an accredited cooperative and had no existing track record in implementing agricultural projects in the countryside.
The Ombudsman added that there were liquidation reports to show how the funds were utilized.
Also included in the charge sheet are Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit (DA-RFU) officials, Executive Director Dennis Araullo, Regional Technical Directors Gregorio Sangalang and Balagtas Torres, legislative coordinator Lucille Odejar, regional accountant Raymundo Braganza, as well as private respondents Margie Tajon Luz, Concha Idica, Ma. Christina Viscarra, Caridad Tajon, Melencio Punzalan and Rodolfo Luz, who were all members of the board of trustees at the Gabay Masa.
The prosecution recommended bail at P40,000 for each count of malversation and P30,000 for each count of graft.
Mitra is the son of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr./rga
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