The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Moro National Liberation Front founder and leader, Nur Misuari, after finding probable cause in his graft and malversation case over the alleged anomalous purchasing of educational materials worth of P115.2 million during his term as Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor from 2000 and 2001.
Commissioner on Audit-ARMM resident auditor Nader Macagaan and private individual Cristeta Ramirez were also issued warrants of arrest.
Meanwhile, the accused demanded that their cases should be dismissed due to the unreasonable delay of the Ombudsman.
However, the court said that the duration of time they spent in processing it cannot be considered “unreasonable.”
“From an examination of the records, it can be gleaned that the present cases are part of what is known as the ‘textbook scam,’ which involves transactions not only those subject to these present cases, but also other related transactions. Due to the number of transactions, the investigation, which entailed scrutinizing voluminous records and determining who among the numerous persons involved should be held liable, necessarily took some time,” the court said.
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 09/ 06 / 17)