Prosecutor amends plunder raps: Napoles ‘private individual’
Janet Lim-Napoles. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Special Prosecutor on Tuesday asked the Sandiganbayan to amend the information of the plunder cases against Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, as well as alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
According to an Ombudsman memorandum stating the amended information, the special prosecutor wants to amend the information to say Napoles and her cohorts are “private individuals” who collaborated with the senators in amassing ill-gotten wealth.
It also would like to delete the phrase in the plunder case that states: “enabling Napoles to misappropriate the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) proceeds for her personal gain.”
The memorandum was signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Monday.
In its manifestation with motion to admit amended information, the prosecutor said they amended the case information “to emphasize that the senator was the one who amassed, accumulated and acquired ill-gotten wealth in connivance or in conspiracy with his co-accused public officer and private individuals.”
“The prosecutors deemed it wise to amend them to minimize, if not obviate, objections therein by certain accused which may cause undue delay in the proceedings,” the motion read.
The prosecutor seeks to amend the case information as the camp of Napoles filed a motion to quash the information of the plunder case against Napoles and her cohorts.
This is because the information is purportedly moot because private respondents Napoles and her cohorts were charged with plunder, which is a criminal offense for public officers.
The prosecutor, however, said that the amended information does not charge another offense or alter the defense of the panel. “The amendment merely adds specifications to eliminate vagueness in the information,” the motion read.
The Sandiganbayan is hearing the biggest corruption scandal under the current administration – the alleged pillaging of public funds to ghost projects for kickbacks through the bogus foundations of alleged mastermind Napoles.
Charged for plunder and graft are Napoles, and Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla. Revilla and Estrada have surrendered to the police.
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