Makati court junks Napoles bail petition in illegal detention case

By MARK MERUEÑAS, GMA News

Published November 21, 2013 2:44pm

(Updated 2:54 p.m.) - Controversial pork barrel fund scam suspect Janet Lim-Napoles will have to remain detained at the Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna following a Makati court's decision to deny her petition for bail.

"JLN's petition for bail in the serious illegal detention case denied by Judge [Elmo] Alameda in an order issued today," Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Thursday.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano also confirmed the Makati court's decision.

"The prosecution was able to establish the existence of conspiracy between Janet Lim Napoles and [Reynald] Jojo Lim concerning the commission of the crime of serious illegal detention," he said.

Lim is the brother of Napoles, who surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III after a warrant of arrest was issued against the siblings. She is currently detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna, while Lim remains at large.

Napoles is facing separate criminal complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged diversion of P10 billion in Priority Development Assistance Funds to bogus non-government organizations and ghost projects.

Whistleblower

The Makati court ruling came a day after the Court of Appeals denied a petition filed by Lim contesting the illegal detention case lodged against him.

Lim had insisted there was no probable cause to charge him for the supposed illegal detention of Benhur Luy, an employee of his sister Janet's JLN Corp and a whistleblower in the "pork barrel" fund scam.

Siblings Lim and Napoles allegedly detained Luy from December 2012 to March 2013 after learning he was planning to put up a business to compete with JLN Corp.

Napoles had also accused Luy of securing loans using her name but without her authorization, as well as stealing money from her. —KG, GMA News

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