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Sunday, April 24, 2005
One of 'shabu 11' turns state witness
CEBU CITY -- The British national arrested with 10 others in a shabu laboratory in Mandaue City last Sept. 24 is now ready to testify against his co-accused.
A highly placed source on Saturday said that Simon Lao executed an affidavit before his lawyer, the British consul, lawyers from the prosecution and officials of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center inside the jail last week.
In it, he alleged that businessman Andy Ng visited the warehouse that was turned into a laboratory, before operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided their illicit activity.
Sun.Star Cebu tried to contact lawyer Romulo Senining Sr., Ng's counsel, for comment, but his son said he was already asleep.
Ng and fellow businessman Richard Ong own the building in Barangay Umapad, but both have denied knowing that their tenant used the facility in manufacturing shabu.
Ong was allowed to post bail, while Ng is still detained at the Mandaue City jail.
The 11 accused, mostly foreigners of Chinese descent, attended a pre-trial last Friday at the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Mandaue City.
"We actually have sufficient evidence but Lao's affidavit is very strong and it sealed the fate of (Calvin de Jesus) Tan and other accused. It made sure he can be extradited and strengthened the evidence against him here in our court," the source said.
Tan has been identified as the mastermind and financier of the shabu laboratory. The Philippine Government is seeking his extradition from Hong Kong, where is being detained for a separate drug possession case.
Refusing to give details of the affidavit, the source merely said that Lao established the link between Ng and Tan.
The Hong Kong court has assured to focus on the Philippine petition for extradition as soon as it resolves Tan's case.
The source said that after Lao gave government prosecutors vital information about the people involved in the shabu laboratory, his security is now their focus.
The Rules of Court state that an accused may become a state witness if: there is an absolute need for his testimony; there is no other direct evidence to prosecute the other accused; the testimony can be corroborated in its material points; and the potential state witness has no prior conviction involving moral turpitude. (AIV)
(April 24, 2005 issue)
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