Pharmally's Mohit Dargani: We've been painted as liars, plunderers

Pharmally corporate treasurer and secretary Mohit Dargani on Tuesday cried foul over the developments in the legislative probe into the government's controversial purchase of COVID-19 supplies from the company last year. 

Dargani made the remark after Senate blue ribbon committee chairperson Richard Gordon inquired during the hearing about his source of income prior to his stint at Pharmally.

"I was really more on investing in stocks, that's what I'm doing and if there's any project I can do, then I would act as project manager,” Dargani said.

Gordon then asked him how much he had invested. Dargani, however, refused to provide details on his stock investments. 

"I invoke my right against self-incrimination," Dargani said, noting that it should be considered private information. 

Gordon replied that “there's nothing private in an inquiry involving government money that has been apparently stolen." 

Dargani then insisted that his stock investments did not come from government money. He also said he was being pressured to give details, to which Gordon denied. 

"We have been painted as liars, plunderers, scammers...," Dargani said. 

Gordon said Dargani should not portray himself as an "angel." 

"You mean to tell me, you got your cars just like that? While everybody is suffering, you got a nice car, you give it to your sister. You don't even pay your taxes, how do I picture that?" the senator said. 

"At the very least, I'll call you took advantage of a very bad situation in our country. You're trying to say you're an angel? You're not an angel my friend. Don't try to paint something that you're clearly not," he added. 

Dargani also disclosed during the inquiry that Pharmally had received purchase orders for COVID-19 items worth around P10 billion from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM). 

Pharmally has only received around P8.5 billion as payment for the COVID-19 supplies, according to Dargani.

Senator Franklin Drilon asked Dargani if Pharmally was willing to defer the payment of the unpaid balance. 

Dargani said the matter should be decided by the company's board members.  — VBL, GMA News