Misuari’s P115-M textbook scam case on hold pending Ombudsman probe

The Sandiganbayan has deferred criminal proceedings against Moro National Liberation Front founding chair, Nur Misuari, over the P115.22-million textbook scam when he was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In a Dec. 6 resolution released to reporters on Monday, the court’s Third Division granted the Office of the Ombudsman’s motion to hold in abeyance the cases for three counts each of graft and malversation through falsification cases.

Nov. 23 resolution

The prosecution requested the postponement of all six cases as it tried to comply with the court’s Nov. 23 resolution sending two of the cases back to the preliminary investigation stage.

While the court did not question the propriety of the investigation in the other four cases, the Ombudsman asked to put everything on hold so the proceedings would be “synchronized.”

Investigation questioned

Misuari earlier questioned the validity of the investigation because he was not given the chance to answer first the allegations regarding the purchase of P37.96 million in educational materials from White Orchids Printing and Publishing House.

Pending the probe’s results, the proceedings on the other cases related to the P31-million and P46.26-million contracts would have to wait. —Vince F. Nonato