Sen. Trillanes urges probe on Sulit’s alleged mishandling of tax credit scam

Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Antonio Trillanes on Thursday called on Malacañang to investigate Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit for her alleged mishandling of plunder charges filed against a Chinese couple involved in a multi-billion tax credit scam.

Trillanes said several witnesses have approached his office to complain what they claimed to be the official negligence, if not the criminal connivance of Sulit when her office failed act to prevent Faustino and Gloria Chingkoe from traveling abroad despite the filing of plunder charges against them in 2009.

“I have reviewed their claims and I am convinced that Special Prosecutor Sulit and her subordinates have a lot of explaining to do,” he said in a statement.

“Indeed, it appears that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has failed to prevent the Chingkoe spouses, the principal accused in the 5.2 billion tax credit scam cases from going abroad despite the plunder charges against them, thus, virtually allowing them to flee the country,” said the senator.

Sulit, Trillanes said , has since failed to act to bring the accused to justice.

Instead of prosecuting the cases against the accused in absencia, Trillanes said the Special Prosecutor has apparently sat on and neglected the cases against the couple.

“Likewise, the Special Prosecutor Sulit has apparently done nothing to try to bring said fugitives to justice. The OSP could have asked the courts or the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel the passports of the Chingkoe spouses to force them to return to the country,” he said.

Sulit’s office, Trillanes said, could have also caused the accused to be reported to the Interpol as fugitives from justice and initiated their extradition.

“Apparently, no such efforts have been made,” said the senator.

And since the Special Prosecutor and her people are all presidential appointees, Trillanes called on the Office of the President “to thoroughly investigate the matter and file the appropriate administrative and/or criminal cases, if warranted.”

He also called on the Supreme Court to look into why the Sandiganbayan has apparently acquiesced into the irregular handling of the tax credit scam cases to forestall the necessity of initiating a Senate investigation into the matter.

Sulit was already placed under preventive suspension in connection with her role in the controversial plea-bargain deal with former military comptroller Major General Carlos Garcia.