Sandiganbayan resets graft trial of Estrada, Napoles to Sept. 4

The Sandiganbayan on Monday deferred and reset to Sept. 4 the graft trial of detained former Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in connection with the pork barrel scam. (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA— The Sandiganbayan on Monday deferred and reset to Sept. 4 the graft trial of detained former Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Napoles is the alleged “brains” behind the PHP10-billion pork barrel and the PHP900-million Malampaya Fund scams.

She appeared before the brief hearing at the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday.

Napoles was escorted by security personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

However, Estrada failed to show up during the hearing.

Only Estrada’s legal counsel Atty. Paul Mar Arias appeared during the hearing.

Estrada is facing plunder case and 11 counts of graft after he allegedly “pocketed” PHP183.793-million amount of “kickbacks” from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or “pork barrel”, channeled to the bogus non-governmental organizations (NGOs) allegedly operated by Napoles.

Estrada is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City while Napoles was transferred from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City to the BJMP detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City after her serious illegal detention case was dismissed by the Court of Appeals (CA) last week.