Real estate firm staff sued for qualified theft

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of qualified theft instead of estafa against a woman who allegedly misappropriated money worth more than P1 million owned by a real estate corporation.

In a resolution, DOJ undersecretary Leah C. Tardora-Armamento found probable cause to charge Chona G. Badolato based on the complaint-affidavit of Orchard Property Marketing Corporation represented by Eduardo V. Tirona.

The resolution reads that the DOJ modified the resolution of the CPO finding a probable cause to charge Badolato with estafa for misappropriating P1,109,240.71

The complainant claimed that Badolato “failed to account for and remit P370,740.64 representing payments per remittance reports but not credited to it; P339,700.39 representing payments not issued provisional receipts; P297,046.33 reflected in acknowledgment receipts issued to buyers but not remitted to its head office; P101,753.35 that buyers paid in cash on checks payable to cash.”

“The buyers were issued provisional receipts, the duplicate copies of which were subsequently cancelled but the money was not remitted to the head office,” the resolution reads.

The resolution also reads that the accused, in her counter-affidavit, denied the allegations.

Badolato alleged that a certain Duffney Tejas Labit, the cashier-teller front desk officer, and one Shella Acaso-Ladion are the persons who could be responsible for the losses.

The qualified theft case was forwarded to RTC-OCC on Monday and is set to be raffled off to a regular court on Thursday. (ANC)