Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) — The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Maguindanao governor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan anew of graft and malversation of public funds.
In a 75-page decision dated May 5 but only released to media on Monday, the court found Ampatuan and former provincial budget officer Datu Ali Abpi Al Haj guilty of violating RA 3019 as amended (Anti-Graft& Corrupt Practices Act), slapping them with penalty of imprisonment from six years and one month minimum to 10 years maximum.For malversation of public funds, the anti-graft court said each of them would get a maximum of 18 years and eight months of reclusion temporal.The court stressed that “irregularities marred” the bidding and delivery documents of supposed various food supplies.“The glaring infirmities in the pre-procurement, procurement, and disbursement processes convince this Court that there was, indeed, unity of purpose among the accused,” the document read.The Sandiganbayan said the former Maguindanao officials “caused undue injury to the government by disbursing public funds in favor of fictitious contractor, and for which no delivery of the supposed procured items was undertaken.”Both the accused also face “perpetual disqualification” from public office.The court likewise ordered them to pay a fine amounting to ₱16.317 million.However, Amputuan and Haj were acquitted from charges of falsification of public documents after prosecutors failed to prove they were guilty.
