Lawyers: Griffiths is not hiding

CEBU, Philippines - Lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo has denied the prosecution’s claim that his client Ian Charles Griffiths, who is charged with kidnapping with homicide together with his Filipina girlfriend Bella Ruby Santos, is hiding from justice.

Villagonzalo said Griffiths is moving freely in the United Kingdom contrary to reports that he has gone into hiding. Villagonzalo explained that the warrant of arrest earlier issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso against his client was not yet received by the authorities in the United Kingdom.

 “Certain state officials in Cebu continue to claim that he (Griffiths) is a fugitive from justice or that he is hiding or on bail or at large and those too are incorrect,” he said.

“As far as the United Kingdom authorities are concerned, he is free to come and go as he pleases, to travel and to pursue his chosen profession and furthermore there has been no investigative activity into him since mid-April 2011 and the file was closed at the end of June 2011 when he was released unconditionally from bail with no further action,” Villagonzalo added..

He accused the prosecution panel of “black propaganda” when it claimed that Griffiths is now in hiding. Villagonzalo insisted that Griffiths is innocent of the charge against him.

“All the while, the real injustice is being done to Ellah Joy Pique by the Philippine authorities with their total lack of investigative activity into identifying the real culprit,” he said.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said that they are still on the process to extradite Griffiths.

But Villagonzalo said a request from the Philippine government to the British government is not a guarantee that Griffiths will be extradited because there is no treaty between the two governments.

Griffiths and Santos were accused in the kidnapping and killing of six-year-old Pique in February last year. (FREEMAN)