Delfin Lee won't attend March 14 syndicated estafa case hearing

Globe Asiatique property developer president and syndicated estafa suspect Delfin Lee will not attend the preliminary hearing his case on Friday afternoon at the Pampanga Regional Trial Court, saying his motion for inhibition against Judge Maria Amifaith Fider-Reyes should be resolved first.

A report on "News TV Live" quoted Lee's legal counsel and spokesperson Willie Rivera as saying his client waived his appearance during the hearing.

Lee is facing a syndicated estafa case for his alleged hand in the P6.6-billion housing anomaly involving loans obtained by "ghost members" of the state-run Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund) who bought homes in Globe Asiatique’s Pampanga housing projects.

Rivera said his client's motion for inhibition should be resolved first before the start of the arraignment for the syndicated estafa case, adding that Lee will remain at the Pampanga Provincial Jail in San Fernando City, where he has been detained since Monday evening.

He was transfered there from the National Bureau of Investigation regional office in the same city, where he was detained since Friday.

Lee's transfer to the provincial jail facility was ordered by Pampanga RTC Branch 42 Judge Fider-Reyes on Monday, after deferring his arraignment on the syndicated estafa case to Friday, March 14.

Earlier, Lee's camp filed a motion questioning the jurisdiction of Pampanga RTC Branch 42 over his syndicated estafa case. 

Also, Lee filed before the Court of Appeals an "extremely urgent" petition for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus to seeking his immediate release from detention.

However, the CA First Division junked the plea last Thursday, citing a Supreme Court temporary restraining order against a November 2013 appellate court ruling that cleared Lee and lifted the arrest warrant against him. — Amanda Fernandez /LBG, GMA News