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THE Sandiganbayan Second Division on Monday has re-scheduled the
pre-trial proceedings of former Justice Secretary Hernando
“Nani” Perez for charges of robbery extortion on the basis of
the accusation of former Rep. Mark Jimenez of Manila in connection
with the alleged $2-million extortion try stemming from a 2001 power
deal.
The Second Division of the anti-graft court,
headed by Justice Edilberto Sandoval, ordered that the pre-trial
shall be done on September 18 in view of the motion for
reconsideration lodged by camp of Perez camp, after junking their
motion to quash the case.
In addition, Jimenez, the complainant and
witness to the case, failed to show up at the Sandiganbayan.
Perez alleged that the Ombudsman should not have
filed the charges since Jimenez himself filed an affidavit of
desistance.
From the Ombudsman’s findings, it was resolved
that Perez acted in conspiracy with brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and
business associate Ernest Escaler and his wife, Rosario, and took
advantage of his position as then Justice secretary to demand
Jimenez to deliver $2 million in connection to the execution of
affidavits to be used against the cronies of former President Joseph
Estrada.
On the other hand, the Sandiganbayan Third
Division’s arraignment of Perez’s falsification of public
documents case was reset to July 24.
Perez alone was charged with falsification of
public documents (Art. 171 of the Revised Penal Code) for his
non-disclosure in his 2001 statement of assets, liabilities and
networth of the amount of $1.7-million deposited in his and his
wife’s bank accounts
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-- Jomar Canlas
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