Pharmally exec Mohit Dargani: We're not escaping Senate probe

Mohit Dargani, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation’s corporate secretary and treasurer, on Thursday denied that he and his sister Twinkle were escaping from the Senate investigation into the controversial purchase of COVID-19 items.

"I just want to say that we did not do this to escape or to hide from the investigation. Like I said in the last hearing that I attended, I was just asserting my rights and the documents that was asked from me and my sister, we have provided," Dargani said during the resumption of the Senate probe.

"All the subpoena duces tecum that was addressed to me and Twinkle, we have provided, we have complied. The documents that are being asked from me was never addressed to me up until we were already detained and we have to humbly refuse to receive that subpoena with those documents because it may bring prejudice to our case," he said repeatedly during the hearing.

The Senate blue ribbon committee had cited the Dargani siblings in contempt for failing to provide the necessary documents being asked by the panel. They were arrested at the Davao International Airport in Davao City.

The siblings were on board a chartered plane bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Senator Risa Hontiveros told Dargani that for the part of the Senate, it seems that the Darganis were escaping from the investigation: "In fact, noong una kayong naintercept ng Senate OSAA, sinubukan mo pang tumakbo.

Dargani said they were traveling from one place to another as his mother and sister's mental health were already "deteriorating."

"I just have to do this because I was doing this as a son, for my mother and for my sister who’s fighting mental health," he said.

"I believe you’re an advocate of mental health, Madam Senator, and it pains me seeing my sister in a condition where she doesn’t even know her name anymore," Dargani said.

Hontiveros earlier bared a quotation from Seletar Jet Charter Pte Ltd. showing that the siblings' chartered flight was priced at around US$37,000 or P1.850 million.

This covered the arrival of the chartered plane from Singapore to Davao; Davao to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia back to Singapore, according to the senator.

Dargani confirmed to senators that a male friend paid for the chartered flight but he said he initially searched for information about firms that offer this kind of service.

"It was our friend who paid for it but I found the companies out of my research, to look for companies that could provide the chartered service," he said.

Dargani also said he does not know the exact amount of the chartered flight.

"I really don't know the exact amount, I did not see the page that you showed me, I was never given a chance to see that also," he said.

At first, Dargani refused to identify his friend who funded the chartered flight.

However, Hontiveros warned him that he could be committing obstruction of justice due to his refusal.

After consulting his legal counsel, Dargani then decided to write the name of his friend on a piece of paper.

Senate blue ribbon committee director-general Rudy Quimbo then identified the friend as one Gary Wong, who, according to Dargani, is an entrepreneur based in Singapore.

Dargani said he would still have to pay for the chartered flight.—AOL, GMA News