AN investigator of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) yesterday denied trying to extort money from a casino financier who said three agency agents tried to “frame” him and when they arrested him last April 7.
This is a “demolition job” to destroy my reputation, said NBI Special Investigator Arnel Pura, who is facing his second complaint in recent weeks.
In a press conference, Pura denied the allegations of by Samuel Latorre, who filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.
Pura showed a certification that Latorre was never threatened or harmed during the arrest and that no one demanded money from him.
Pura vowed to file countercharges. He said damage was done to his reputation and the NBI.
Latorre, a casino financier, was arrested by the NBI-7 in an entrapment on April 7.
The financier said he was trying to collect a P1.2-million gambling debt from a female casino patron and was surprised to see the NBI agents there arresting him and trying to intercede for the woman over her debt.
Latorre later asked the Ombudsman in the Visayas to investigate Pura; Dr. Rene Cam, medico-legal officer; and investigation staffer Xerxes Baladya.
Latorre said his arrest was a “frame-up” and that Pura was interceding for the debtor by offering him P100,000 and then P150,000 to settle her debt. When Latorre refused, the NBI filed extortion charges against him.
NBI-7 Assistant Director Lauro Reyes said he was surprised to read about the complaint in the papers.
He noted that the same three agents were the subject of an earlier complaint for extortion in another case.
“It led me to think that there is a group of persons who are out to destroy these three guys,” Reyes said to get back at the NBI for their arrests.
He said Pura is one of the agents trusted by the regional director.
Sato was presented by the NBI-7 yesterday and said the operation stemmed from her request for assistance.
Sato said she didn’t owe money to Latorre and that the financier only wanted to extort money from her.
In an earlier case, engineer Robert Yee who was accused of raping a 17-year-old nursing student said the three NBI agents tried to extort P3 million from him in exchange for dropping charges against him. The charges were filed before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.
In an interview yesterday, Latorre clarified that Pura didn’t extort money from him as earlier reported here.
He said the NBI agents set him up to intervene to settle a debt between him and Elizabeth Sato. He said Pura and Baladya punched him.
Last April 7, Sato allegedly invited Latorre to her residence at Pacific Villa I, Lapu-Lapu City, and promised to pay him P100,000.
At the house, the financier said he was instead given an envelope with only P2,000 inside and was surprised to see NBI-7 agents inside the house.
Latorre said the agents led by Pura ganged up on him and accused him of robbery extortion.
Latorre said it would be impossible for him to extort money from a “financially distressed debtor” like Sato.
At the NBI-7 office, Pura allegedly started talking about settling Sato’s debt and offered P100,000 as Sato’s payment and then P150,000.
When he declined, charges of robbery extortion were filed against Latorre.
The Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutors’ Office downgraded the charges to grave coercion.
Latorre said the operation was “staged as a frame-up to settle my debtor’s unpaid obligation.”/Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol