Sandigan freezes Dichaves’ assets

The Sandiganbayan ordered yesterday a freeze on all assets of controversial businessman Jaime Dichaves, an ally and co-accused of jailed former Pre-sident Joseph Estrada in the plunder case now being heard by the anti-graft court.

Dichaves earlier claimed he owned the controversial Jose Velarde account in the Equitable PCI Bank even as government prosecutors insisted that the disputed account belonged to Estrada.

Acting Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Minita Chico-Nazario, who chairs the anti-graft court’s special division trying the plunder case, also ordered the Quezon City Assessor’s Office and the Register of Deeds to furnish the court a detailed report on assets listed in the real property tax declaration of Dichaves, and those of other respondents in the plunder case — Charlie "Atong" Ang, Yolanda Ricaforte, Delia Rajas, Alma Alfaro and Eleuterio Tan.

Nazario issued earlier another order freezing the mansions of Ang and Ricaforte located on 18 Manansala st., Corinthian Gardens, and 25 Freedom Avenue, Area I, Veterans Village, Barangay Pasong Tamo, both in Quezon City.

A freeze order was also issued against the deposits of Ricaforte with six branches of the Equitable PCIBank containing a total of P11,135,606 including interest, as well as deposits of the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation holding P201,396,572.

The prosecution maintained that the foundation was merely being used by Estrada to launder bribe money from jueteng operators.

Estrada was deposed following a failed impeachment trial triggered by accusations that he amassed a fortune in bribes from illegal gambling operators.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan allowed anew Estrada’s son, former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada, to undergo treatment for rectal bleeding at the Makati Medical Center (MMC).

Like his father, Jinggoy is detained at the government-run Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City in connection with the plunder charge.

"Accused Jinggoy is hereby allowed to leave the VMMC on Aug. 31 to go to Makati Medical Center to be examined and/or treated thereat for a period of five days even as requested, provided that he shall return to his place of detention at the VMMC not later than 5 p.m. of Sept. 4," the order stated.

Nazario also directed Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to take adequate security measures to ensure that Jinggoy is safely taken to the MMC.

Jinggoy’s personal physician, Dr. Lorenzo Hocson, told the court that the MMC and the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan refused to lend their colonoscope machine to the VMMC to be used on his patient.

Nazario denied a similar request by Jinggoy last Aug. 6, saying he was merely feigning sickness since he attended a party at the MMC hosted by actor Rudy Fernandez during the previous month.