SC stops proceedings vs Estrada co-accused for plunder

The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court has stopped the Office of the Ombudsman from proceeding with the plunder case against businessman Jaime Dichavez.

Dichavez, a co-accused with former president, now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada for plunder,
contested the Ombudsman’s ruling to charge him before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly conspiring with Estrada to amass illegal wealth and said that the evidence presented at his trial could not be used against him.

The high court’s 3rd Division,  through Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Jr., Roberto Abad, Jose Mendoza, and Marvic Leonen, issued the restraining order.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta inhibited from the case for being a member of the anti-graft court’s special division that handled the plunder case.

In 2011, the Sandiganbayan directed the Ombudsman to conduct a re-investigation into the case against Dichavez because he was not able to participate in a previous inquiry and was not served a copy of the Ombudsman’s findings.

But graft investigators affirmed the existence of enough evidence against Dichavez for plunder.