Purisima filed a motion to lift the hold departure order issued by the anti-graft court, which directed the Bureau of Immigration to place him on a hold departure list, after he was charged with graft in a courier deal that the PNP entered into in 2011. He and his co-accused in the case are barred from leaving the country without the Sandiganbayan’s approval.
Purisima, who pleaded not guilty during arraignment last month and is out on a ₱30,000 bail, said he plans to visit his son in California from September 5 to 27. He told the court the trip had been scheduled before his May 2016 indictment.
Both Purisima and his lawyer Hector Dexter Corpus refused interviews after Thursday’s hearing.
State prosecutors opposed Purisima’s request. The Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division gave Purisima five days to reply to the prosecution’s opposition before it rules on his request to travel.
Purisima was charged with conspiring with other police officials to illegally award a gun-license delivery deal to courier WerFast Documentary Agency without public bidding. He is accused of authorizing the deal even though the company failed to undergo necessary accreditation processes.
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As a result, Purisima and 10 other police officials were dismissed and disqualified from ever holding a public office by the Ombudsman in June 2015. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales found substantial evidence to hold Purisma and other police officials liable for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and grave abuse of authority for entering a contract with WerFast.
Related: Purisima, Napeñas liable for Mamasapano encounter – Ombudsman
CNN Philippines’ Digital Producer VJ Bacungan contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima asked the Sandiganbayan Thursday to allow him to travel abroad to visit his son.
