Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, his ex-chief of employees Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, and different co-accused in 15 counts of graft circumstances over using Priority Development Assistance Fund questioned the authenticity of Commission on Audit (COA) paperwork introduced by state legal professionals on Thursday’s listening to on the Sandiganbayan.
Defense legal professionals repeatedly requested prosecution witness after which COA particular administrative officer Lolita Soriano if she is 100% certain that the paperwork submitted to COA by the implementing businesses, which allegedly benefitted from the funds, had been certainly sourced from authentic copies.
These implementing businesses, that are all state-run, embody the National Livelihood Development Corporation, Technology Resource Center (TRC) and the National Agribusiness Corporation.
Asked by the protection counsels if she noticed the unique doc which is the supply of the facsimile exhibiting an April 18, 2007 letter signed by Reyes, Soriano replied “I saw the original facsimile, not the original copy.”
State prosecutor Ferdinand Garzon objected and mentioned the query is deceptive.
“She is testifying to the original facsimile, not the original letter, your honors,” Garzon mentioned.
Sandiganbyan Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez, nonetheless, overruled the objection.
The protection counsels then proceeded to ask Soriano if she was sure the paperwork submitted by TRC to COA had been within the custody of the previous.
Soriano replied, saying, “I am sure they are in the implementing agencies because they are the ones who submitted it.”
Lawyer Christian Diaz, counsel for Reyes, additionally quizzed Soriano if she noticed the unique copies of eight endorsement letters allegedly signed by Reyes.
Prosecutor Garzon objected once more, saying that Soriano is “incompetent to answer the question since she is only records custodian.”
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Oscar Moreno then requested the COA officer why she didn’t demand authentic copies from the implementing businesses.
Soriano answered, “iyon pong mga information namin sa COA-SAO (Special Audit Office) , iyon lang po [ang sakop ko].”—LDF, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
