Napoles refuses to enter plea for P18.4-M tax evasion cases

Businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam, on Wednesday refused to enter any plea for her P18.491-million tax evasion cases before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).

With heavy security escorts from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Napoles arrived at the CTA Third Division courtroom without a lawyer.

Napoles’ scheduled arraignment for 12 counts of tax evasion was temporarily halted as her lawyer Ian Encarnacion arrived late, prompting the court to impose a fine of P2,000 against him.

“Upon the advise of my lawyer, I refuse to enter plea,” Napoles said when each charge sheet was read before her.

The Third Division, in turn, entered a “not guilty” plea on Napoles’ behalf in accordance with the court rules.

The court set the preliminary conference or the marking of evidence on July 14 at 1:30 p.m. while the pre-trial proceeding was set on August 17.

Wearing the traditional tangerine prisoner’s gown, Napoles was immediately escorted out of the CTA building after her arraignment.

In an interview with reporters, Encarnacion said he advised Napoles not to enter a plea as their camp still has a pending petition for review before the CTA En Banc questioning the validity of the cases.

Filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in May 2015, the cases stemmed from Napoles alleged failure to pay tax liabilities for years 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 totaling P18.491 million.

The DOJ said Napoles, in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), made untruthful declarations of tax liabilities her income tax returns (ITRs) and to pay the right amount of taxes.

Based on the charge sheets, Napoles even declared zero income for taxable year 2012 resulting to an unpaid tax liability of P2.152 million solely for that year.  

The DOJ said this was despite Napoles and her husband Jaime’s ownership of various real estate properties, insurance policies, stocks shares and motor vehicles.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City following her conviction by the Makati Regional Trial Court for an illegal detention case filed by her second cousin and former employee Benhur Luy.

She was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.

Napoles is also facing multiple plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly orchestrating the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

Just last week, Jaime Napoles, a retired Marine officer, likewise refused to enter plea for his P5.7-million tax evasion cases also before the CTA Third Division.

The Napoles couple’s youngest daughter Jeane Catherine Napoles is also currently undergoing trial before the CTA for a P17.46-million tax evasion case.

The case stemmed from her alleged failure to file her ITR as well as to pay her income tax for  2011, despite her acquisition in that year of a posh condominium unit at Ritz Carlton in Los Angeles, United States worth $2 million. — RSJ, GMA News