Lawyer: Napoles is not ‘pork’ scam mastermind

Janet Lim-Napoles. Inset Atty. Bruce Rivera lawyer of Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER.net and INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines—Detained businesswoman and pork barrel Queen Janet Lim-Napoles is ready to spill the beans to prove  that “she is not the mastermind” of  the multi-billion pork barrel scam, her legal counsel said Wednesday.

“As early as now, I can say that her testimony will show that she is not the mastermind of the pork barrel scam,” Atty. Bruce Rivera, spokesperson of Napoles said  in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

Rivera said Napoles signed a sworn statement during her meeting with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima detailing personalities embroiled in the pork barrel scam, but was quick to add that he could not divulge the details of the statement.

“The details [written in her sworn statement] were very specific,” he said.

“She wants the truth to come out. She wants to tell the truth but in the proper forum,”  he added.

According to him, he arranged the meeting with de Lima at the Ospital ng Makati together with officials of the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Nahihirapan siyang magsiwalat sa senate kasi nandoon ang mga taong aakusahan niya e,” he said saying his client has long wanted to talk to de Lima.

(It is hard for her to expose [her story] in the senate since most of the accused are present there).

She said his client was happy that de Lima talked to her and said “it was a very cordial and heartwarming conversation both on their [parts].”

Rivera also confirmed that Napoles had been receiving death threats.

“There [have] been phone calls, text messages using prepaid numbers threating us. The threats now are much more apparent…it’s high time for her to tell what she knows,” he said.

On Tuesday, de Lima confirmed her meeting with Napoles and said the Department of Justice would evaluate the veracity of her statements.

She said Napoles confirmed the participation of senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jose ‘Jinggoy” Estrada, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla” in the multi-billion pork barrel scam.

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