Contractors possible kickback source in Jinggoy plunder case but no strong link —witness

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent Atty. Ivan Samson on Tuesday told the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division that their investigation found contractors as a “possible source” of kickback allegedly delivered to detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

But, he admitted, they did not establish a “strong link” between contractors and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers who were allegedly instructed to deliver the flood control mess kickback to Estrada.

Samson said this when he took the witness stand during the first day of bail hearings for Estrada and his co-accused DPWH engineers Denryl Cortuna, Manny Bulusan, and Arturo Gonzales Jr.

He said the "totality of evidence" found by the NBI was enough to recommend plunder charges vs. Estrada and co-accused.

But their investigation did not establish a clear money trail from contractors to the DPWH engineers, sufficient to mount a prima facie case with certainty of conviction, he added.

The legal counsels of the accused initially objected to having Samson as witness in the bail hearing, arguing that the NBI agent has no personal knowledge of the facts of the case, and his assessment of the evidence is “irrelevant and immaterial” as they are allegedly based on hearsay.

The anti-graft court overruled the objection, saying Samson was not testifying on the truthfulness of the evidence, but rather the conduct of their investigation.

The bail hearing for Estrada’s plunder case will resume on Oct. 27, with former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan expected to take the witness stand.

Among other witnesses the prosecution will present in the succeeding bail hearings are former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former NCR regional director Gerard Opulencia, and Bernardo’s former driver and aide Vergel Niño Garcia.

The bail hearing for Estrada’s plunder case is expected to run until Nov. 12. —KG, GMA News