The Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee, chaired by Sen. Koko Pimentel, resumes its inquiry on the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey new Makati City II Parking Building, the 22-storey Makati City Hall Building and related anomalies. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Detained businessman Delfin Lee has linked Vice President Jejomar Binay to a P200-million extortion attempt supposedly in exchange for dropping the P6.6-billion syndicated estafa case against him.
In a sworn statement read by his lawyer during a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee probe on Monday, Lee alleged that Vice President Binay’s close associate, Gerry Limlingan, asked P200 million from him so that the Globe Asiatique founder’s estafa case will not proceed.
“Ako ay biktima ng panggigipit sa pamumuno ni Bise Presidente Jejomar Binay. Dalawang beses kaming nagkita ni Mr. Gerry Limlingan, na kilalang malapit kay Bise Presidente Binay, sa isang gusali sa Makati, kung saan ako hiningan ng halagang 200 milyong piso para hindi ituloy ang kaso laban sa akin.”
Lee also accused Limlingan of asking him to implicate former Vice President Noli de Castro in the Pag-IBIG fund scam.
“Hinimok din ako ni Mr. Gerry Limlingan na gumawa ng hindi totoong kwento upang makasuhan si dating Bise Presidente Noli de Castro, ngunit hindi ako pumayag.”
The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee earlier summoned to Lee to testify in its probe on alleged anomalies involving Vice President Binay, concurrent chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).
Lee, who has blamed Binay for his legal woes, was initially allowed by the San Fernando Regional Trial Court Branch 42 handling his case to appear before the subcommittee.
Last week, however, presiding Judge Maria Amifaith Fider-Reyes reversed a resolution she earlier issued upon the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s objection, barring Lee from attending the Senate subcommittee hearing.
Lee is currently detained at the Pampanga Provincial Jail while facing his syndicated estafa case. (MNS)