Police trainee falls for qualified theft

CEBU, Philippines - A police trainee was arrested by elements of the Investigative and Detective Management Bureau (IDMB) at the Regional Training School (RTS7) in Barangay Gaas in Balamban town last Wednesday afternoon for qualified theft.

PO1 Louie Lagahit, 29, of Panglao, Bohol was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Raphael Yrastorza.

He was arrested while attending his Moral Values class.

The case against Lagahit stemmed from a complaint filed by his previous employer, Fundline Lending, based in Mandaue City where he worked as financial consultant. He was accused of having allegedly embezzled money from the firm amounting to at least P400,000 in 2010.

Lagahit vehemently denied the allegations, alleging that it was his former manager who took the money and that he is now the one being blamed.

He said he could not have touched the firm’s money because he was a financial consultant who could only oversee the firm’s financial records.

Lagahit said he thought all along that the case filed against him was already resolved after his lawyer answered the allegations.

He explained that he got accepted as a police trainee because he was able to secure clearances from the Philippine National Police, the Municipal Trial Court in Cities and the Regional Trial Court, which showed that he had no pending cases. He was also reportedly cleared during background check.

He also signed an oath with the PNP, which says that he has never been charged of a crime.

He is now detained at the Subangdaku police station, but he will be transferred to the Mandaue City Jail because the case against him is non-bailable. — (FREEMAN)