Sandiganbayan issues hold departure order vs. Nur Misuari

The Sandiganbayan has issued a hold departure order against former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional governor and Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari over charges in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of educational materials worth P115.2 million from 2000 to 2001.

In six separate orders, the anti-graft court's Third Division directed the Bureau of Immigration to hold the departure of Misuari and seven of his co-accused "to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its (court's) jurisdiction over the case/s and the person/s of the accused so as to render accused at all times amenable to its writs and processes."

Sandiganbayan issues hold departure order vs. Nur Misuari over graft, malversation raps. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/heXhSztt6L

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) June 6, 2017

Aside from Misuari, the order was also issued against then Department of Education (DepEd) ARMM director Leovigilda Cinches, chief accountant Pangalian Maniri, Sittie Aisa Usman, DepEd ARMM accountant Alladin Usi, Commissioner on Audit ARMM resident auditor Nader Macagaan, and private individuals Cristeta Ramirez, Lolita Sambeli.

Misuari was charged with three counts each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation through falsification for allegedly conspiring with his co-accused in giving "unwarranted benefits, advantage and privilege" to the following companies for the procurement of educational materials:

• MBJ Learning Tools for an Information Technology package worth P31 million,
• CPR Publishing for a Multi-media Information Technology package worth P46.26 million, and
• White Orchids Printing and Publishing House for educational materials worth P37.59 million.

This, even though "no such materials were delivered," the Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman also alleged that the respondents conspired with another to "take, appropriate or misappropriate" the said amounts by supposedly falsifying the corresponding procurement documents for the educational materials.

This was in order to make it appear that the procurements were made, the Ombudsman added. —KG, GMA News