Consolidation of Neri’s graft case pressed
The prosecution panel of the Office of the Ombudsman has insisted on the consolidation of Romulo Neri’s Sandiganbayan graft case over the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with those of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benjamin Abalos, a move that Neri has protested.
In its comment on Neri’s motion for reconsideration opposing the consolidation, the panel said his fears that the move would indirectly amend the charge sheet against him was unfounded.
“There is no implied amendment of an information in consolidation of cases,” the panel said.
It also said that a conspiracy among the accused was not a condition before cases were consolidated.
The prosecution panel reiterated its earlier contention that the consolidation of the cases was necessary because both cases required the testimony of ZTE Corp. executives Yu Yong and Fan Yang.
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division earlier granted the prosecution’s motion to consolidate Neri’s case with those of Abalos and Arroyo, which are being handled by the Fourth Division.
Neri, a former National Economic and Development Authority director general, had protested this.
He argued, among others, that the facts of his case were different from those of the cases against the other accused. It would also be absurd to consolidate the cases since he was the principal witness against Abalos and had testified at the latter’s trial.
Neri was charged with graft for allegedly meeting with ZTE officials when the NBN project was still under assessment by the government. Leila B. Salaverria
