Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Ted Ouano 'ready to go to trial'
FORMER Mandaue City mayor Thadeo Ouano welcomed the Sandiganbayan’s denial of a motion seeking the withdrawal of one of the cases against him over the purchase of allegedly overpriced street lamps.
His Manila-based lawyer Dennis Añover, in an interview yesterday, said they opposed the withdrawal when it was filed by the Ombudsman Special Prosecutor.
“We even insisted that he be arraigned already so we can proceed with the trial proper. We were the only party who did so,” Añover said.
The lawyer said they have not yet received the order from the second division formally denying the motion to withdraw.
But he cited information that the Office of the Special Prosecutor filed a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court.
Añover said they want to go directly to trial so they can submit their evidence and clear the former mayor’s name.
“They have already admitted that their evidence is weak,” he said.
The other case against Ouano has already been withdrawn, with the anti-graft court ordering the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to conduct a re-investigation.
The anti-graft office in Manila moved for the withdrawal so it could introduce evidence that were not yet available during the original preliminary investigation conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
A total of 21 people were charged in five cases before the Sandiganbayan in January last year for their alleged involvement in the Asean summit lamppost controversy.
Ouano stands charged in two of the cases together with Mandaue City Engineer Hidelisa Latonio, Assistant Engineers Gregorio Omo, Mario Gerolaga, Aflredo Sanchez Jr. and Rosalina Denque.
Together with them are Department of Public Works and Highways 7 officials led by former director Roberto Lala, Assistant Directors Gloria Dindin and Marlina Alvizo, Division Chiefs Pureza Fernandez, Cresencio Bagolor, Agustinito Hermoso, Luis Galang, Restituto Diano and Buenaventura Pajo.
Also impleaded is Isabelo Braza, president and chairman of Fabmik Construction and Equipment Supply Company Inc., and Gerardo Surla, Gampik Construction and Development Inc. chairman.
They are charged for the supply of the other 300 sets of the decorative lampposts and its installation along the Mandaue causeway in Mandaue City.
A Commission on Audit (COA) report, dated March 28, 2007, found that the 300 decorative lamps along the Mandaue City causeway were only worth P13,934,547 based on the price of similar park lamps, or P8,745,567 had other comparable imported decorative lamps had been used.
The amount is way below the P24,975,000 the government spent for those in Mandaue City.
The other case involves the supply of the single-arm, double-arm and triple-arm street lights. (KNR)
