Jun 252014
Suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles arrived at the Sandiganbayan Thursday more than an hour early for her arraignment.
Napoles was in a convoy that arrived shortly after 7 a.m., radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported.
The Sandiganbayan First Division set the arraignment for Napoles, Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., his aide Richard Cambe, and their co-accused at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Napoles’ convoy left Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna early Thursday for the anti-graft court in Quezon City.
The convoy was traveling at 90 kph, the report said.
At the court premises, police bomb squads inspected the area to ensure safety, dzBB’s Rowena Salvacion reported.
Philippine National Police chief information officer Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac on Wednesday said the PNP has mobilized several police units to ensure the security of Revilla and Cambe, who have been detained at the PNP Custodial Center since Friday, and Napoles.
“Everything is now in place for the arraignment. We are ready,” he said.
Napoles is facing plunder and graft charges along with Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile for allegedly diverting lawmakers’ allocations of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (pork barrel) into fake NGOs.
According to the Ombudsman, the scheme that went on for nearly a decade involved the creation of fake NGOs, which received funding for agricultural and livelihood projects that either did not exist or were grossly overpriced. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
