Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Justice office set to begin NBN probe
ALL is set for the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) fact-finding investigation on Tuesday on possible criminal violations of some government officials and private individuals involved in the scuttled national broadband network (NBN) deal.
Justice Undersecretary Ernesto Pineda said the five-man panel of prosecutors, which will conduct the inquiry, will focus mostly on the filing of perjury charges and violation of the government procurement law.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza has confirmed his participation in the morning session of the inquiry through his representative Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso III.
On the other hand, Commission on Higher Education (Ched) chairman Romulo Neri will be represented by his lawyer.
Pineda said the DOJ's investigation is distinct from the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman.
He said the panel will scrutinize the affidavits of those invited by the Senate to testify on the NBN-ZTE scandal for possible perjury.
The Senate investigation, he said, is in aid of legislation or for amending existing laws on procurement services, while the Ombudsman will determine if there had been some violations of the anti-graft law.
Pineda said there is no pressure from Malacañang to pin down NBN witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr., even though the Office of the Solicitor General has confirmed that it will file perjury raps against the witness and his family in connection with his alleged abduction on February 5 upon his return from a trip in Hong Kong.
On the other hand, National Police Chief Avelino Razon Jr. claimed the CCTV footage from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) did not show Lozada being taken against his will.
The Court of Appeals (CA) is now hearing the case for the writ of amparo filed by the family of Lozada.
"Based on the affidavits and transcripts, you can start working to find out whether there is perjury or false testimony in the Senate. Our hearing tomorrow is a fact finding matter if we find out that there is crime then we recommend to the Secretary of Justice of the holding of a preliminary investigation," Pineda said.
Aside from Mendoza and Neri, the DOJ will also invite businessman Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, another whistleblower in the NBN bribery scandal, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and Lozada.
The panel, he said, will still evaluate whether there is a need to invite First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo to attend the inquiry.
Abalos and Arroyo are being accused of brokering the NBN project with the Chinese firm ZTE Corporation.
On top of perjury raps, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said the panel should look into Lozada's finances after receiving reports that the NBN witness did not get any salary while working as president and chief executive officer of Philippine Forest Corporation (PFC).
Gonzalez said it would be financially impossible for Lozada to manage to play golf at the exclusive Wack-Wack Country Club and send all his children to school despite receiving no compensation from the government.
"I understand he is not a plantilla official. My information is that he does not receive salary," he said, adding that Lozada was merely a consultant of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (ECV/Sunnex)
