Pres. Duterte: Janet Napoles Could be a State Witness Because She's a "Minimal Player" in the Pork Barrel Scam
The tough-talking President of the Republic of the Philippines, Pres. Rody Duterte believed that the controversial and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was a "minimal player" in the multi-billion plunder of state coffers and could be tapped as state witness.
Although Napoles got an unlikely ally in the person of the President, she has to prove that she is not the most guilty of fund misuse, and the final decision rests on the courts.
Pres. Duterte was quoted as saying "As to the question of whether or not she could be utilized as a state witness, there’s a law which says that one of the requirements [is]at least she appears to be the least guilty. If you are a major player, I don’t know if you can do it,” said Duterte, a former prosecutor in Davao City.
The President added further that "It’s up to the judge. It is the judge, the prosecutor who would make the motion and the judge will decide… So if you are asking for an expanded explanation it’s just that she appears to be the minimal player, not the major player in the commission of the crime,” he added.
The statement of Pres. Duterte was released before the departure of the chief executive on his way to Cambodia.
Pres. Duterte's pronouncement was also released after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that Napoles, who has been acquitted of a serious illegal detention charge involving scam whistleblower Benur Luy, could be a credible key witness.
During the deliberation of the Napoles case, she had been tagged by witnesses as the mastermind of the scam, in which some P10 billion of taxpayers' money was coursed through her bogun non-government organizations for "ghost projects" implemented by lawmakers.
Pres. Duterte also noted that he agreed with the Court of Appeals' decision to acquit Napoles in the serious illegal detention case filed by her second cousin Benhur Luy. The President also denied the allegations and claims that he and Napoles have reached a "sweetheart deal" because of her acquittal in the Luy detention case.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Although Napoles got an unlikely ally in the person of the President, she has to prove that she is not the most guilty of fund misuse, and the final decision rests on the courts.
Pres. Duterte was quoted as saying "As to the question of whether or not she could be utilized as a state witness, there’s a law which says that one of the requirements [is]at least she appears to be the least guilty. If you are a major player, I don’t know if you can do it,” said Duterte, a former prosecutor in Davao City.
The President added further that "It’s up to the judge. It is the judge, the prosecutor who would make the motion and the judge will decide… So if you are asking for an expanded explanation it’s just that she appears to be the minimal player, not the major player in the commission of the crime,” he added.
The statement of Pres. Duterte was released before the departure of the chief executive on his way to Cambodia.
Pres. Duterte's pronouncement was also released after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that Napoles, who has been acquitted of a serious illegal detention charge involving scam whistleblower Benur Luy, could be a credible key witness.
During the deliberation of the Napoles case, she had been tagged by witnesses as the mastermind of the scam, in which some P10 billion of taxpayers' money was coursed through her bogun non-government organizations for "ghost projects" implemented by lawmakers.
Pres. Duterte also noted that he agreed with the Court of Appeals' decision to acquit Napoles in the serious illegal detention case filed by her second cousin Benhur Luy. The President also denied the allegations and claims that he and Napoles have reached a "sweetheart deal" because of her acquittal in the Luy detention case.
Source: Manila Bulletin