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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Erap confident of acquittal
Government prosecutors suffered a major setback yesterday when the Sandiganbayan Special Division hearing the plunder and perjury charges of former president Joseph Estrada ruled as irrelevant the questioning on the Estrada administration’s power contract with an Argentine firm.
Disgusted by the ruling, government prosecutors just decided to terminate their cross-examination of the former president.
Estrada began testifying at the weekly hearings in March. He is accused of embezzling about P1.6 billion during his 30 months in power.
The anti-graft court sustained the objections of defense counsel Jose Flaminiano on the questioning of Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio in connection with the contract entered into by the National Power Corp. with Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima (Impsa) Impsa.
Flaminiano argued that the controversial power deal was a side issue that has no bearing at all on the main issue, which is whether or not Estrada committed plunder.
Villa-Ignacio alleged that contrary to Estrada’s claim, the former president signed in 1998 a contract giving sovereign guarantee for the rehabilitation of the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan power plant in Laguna by Impsa.
Later, Villa-Ignacio announced that the prosecution was terminating its cross-examination.
‘Comfortable’
“We are terminating the cross-examination. We are very much comfortable with the testimony of the witness,” Villa-Ignacio said.
He was referring to the former president’s admission in open court that he signed as Jose Velarde, that P200 million in jueteng money went to the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, that businessman Jaime Dichaves talked to him about the Belle shares, and among others.
Outside the courtroom, the former president boasted that he was able to overcome the prosecution’s grilling and that he will be acquitted of the charges filed against him.
“Oh yes, they have not presented anything to impeach my testimony. That goes to show that the case against me is very weak,” Estrada told reporters after the hearing.
Flaminiano, meanwhile, said he will ask the court to call a two-week break in the trial so the defendant’s legal team could review all the documents and transcripts to see if they should present another witness.
At previous hearings, Estrada has insisted that he was illegally ousted and was still the legal president and thus immune from prosecution.
He has accused his successor, President Arroyo, of being a usurper brought to power by a conspiracy of the elite. (Sunnex/AFP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 29, 2006 issue)
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