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Thursday, March 06, 2003
Jimenez finally out of Impsa probe
By Joshua Dancel
MANILA Rep. Mark Jimenez is off the Industrias Metallurgicas Pescamona Sociedad Anumina (IMPSA) investigation.
Senator John Henry Osmena Wednesday said Jimenez is being "uncooperative" with the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises as far as providing more details on the circumstances surrounding the alleged $14 million he gave to certain officials, apparently as grease money, to facilitate the approval of the IMPSA power deal.
Jimenez has just posted bail and has gone out from his cell in Miami Florida. Earlier, Osmena was very keen on going after his deposition on the alleged $2 million cash he deposited in Coutts Bank in Hong Kong through the efforts of Banker and Investment Counselor Ernest Escaler.
Jimenez has accused former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez of extorting money from him in exchange for the extradition case filed by the United States against him. He claimed to have given Perez $2 million while they were in Hong Kong.
"He already sent word that he has nothing else to add to what he already said on the issue so what do I need him for?" Osmena told Sun.Star.
With this latest development, Osmena said he would have to advance the public hearing and call in Perez very soon. "I will have to call the DOJ people, Escaler, and then Perez and that will be the end of the hearing," Osmena said.
Osmena, however, expressed concern that Claro Flores, the DOJ legal staff who penned the opinion, has been out of the country for more than a month now and has inquired to the Department on his whereabouts. "I told them he might stay out of the country for good so they better bring him back," he said.
It was through a Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion, drafted during the Estrada Administration but signed by Perez, that the IMPSA firm was able to get a direct or government guarantee for the project, a condition required by the company's bankers and financers.
Previous resource people from the DOJ testified that IMPSA lawyers personally lobbied hard and was even present at the time the opinion was being drafted to see through that the firm's interest was carried out.
(March 6, 2003 issue)
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