Sandiganbayan sets arraignment of Binay’s wife

The Sandiganbayan has set the arraignment of former Makati City mayor Elenita Binay and former general services chief Ernesto Aspillaga on Jan. 18 on a graft charge filed against them by the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a notice to appear issued last Dec. 20, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division ordered Binay and Aspillaga, a former councilor, to present themselves before the anti-graft court at 8:30 a.m. to enter their plea.

Both Binay, the wife of incumbent Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, and Aspillaga were accused of being involved in the alleged anomalous purchase of office fixtures and furniture for the new Makati City Hall from private contractor Office Gallery International between December 1999 and February 2000.

Based on a report submitted by a team of government auditors, the purchases worth P13.25 million was overpriced by P3.6 million.

Named private respondents in the case were businessmen Li Yee Shing, Jason Li and Vivian Edurise, executives of the furniture firm.

Binay and Aspillaga tried to have the charges dismissed.

But in a resolution dated July 27, the Sandiganbayan upheld their indictment based on the information filed.

The anti-graft court overruled the respondents’ argument that there were fatal defects in the information pertaining to the amount of the supposed cost-padding and the absence of allegations that items were not delivered even though they had been paid for.

The Sandiganbayan said “allegations contained in the information sufficiently provide factual details which tend to show that the award of the procurement (contract) was illegal and unlawful because it was made thru a repeat order based on a simulated (or) rigged public bidding.”  – Sandy Araneta