Dichaves asks Sandigan to junk his plunder case

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Jaime Dichaves is asking the Sandiganbayan to junk the plunder case filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman 10 years ago. Though his lawyer Pacifico Agabin, he said the anti-graft court itself had ruled that he does not own the “Jose Velarde” bank account where illegal commissions from the purchase by the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System of Belle Corp. shares worth P1.847 billion were deposited. In a 14-page reply filed on Aug. 15, Dichaves said the decision of the Sandiganbayan Special Division convicting former President Joseph Estrada of plunder in 2007 cleared him of criminal liability. “As the Honorable Court found in its decision in this case dated Sept. 12, 2007, accused Dichaves was not the owner of the Velarde account and therefore there is no basis for any finding on (sic) probable cause against him,” the reply stated.

Dichaves is also asking for the recall of the warrant of arrest issued against him in 2001 because he was denied due process, being out of the country when the preliminary investigation on the case was conducted. Agabin said his client, contrary to allegations that he fled the country to escape prosecution, was not among the accused when the original plunder case against Estrada was filed on April 4, 2001. “It was only on Sept. 20, 2001 that the prosecution filed with the Honorable Court a Motion to further amend the Amended Information in this case to include accused Jaime Dichaves.