CA junks Cedric Lee petition to dismiss illegal detention case

The Court of Appeals has junked the petition filed by businessman Cedric Lee seeking to dismiss the serious illegal detention for ransom case filed against him and six others in connection with the alleged detention of actor Vhong Navarro in 2014.

In a 12-page decision promulgated on October 28, the 17th division of the Appellate Court affirmed the order of the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 153 which denied Lee’s motion to junk the case.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale.

“Finding no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court, the instant petition must be dismissed,” the Court of Appeals said.

In 2014, Lee and his group were accused of holding Navarro captive and inflicting serious physical injuries against him.

Among the accused were Lee's sister Bernice, Simeon Raz, Jose Paolo Gregorio Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero, Sajed Fernandez Abuhijleh, and Deniece Millinette Cornejo.

According to Lee, the Taguig RTC committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to excess jurisdiction when it dismissed his motion.

However, the Court said Lee’s arguments could not be sustained.

“In the absence of a clear showing that the trial court committed a grave abuse of discretion or acted in excess jurisdiction, this Court will not annul an interlocutory order denying a motion to dismiss a criminal case,” it said.

Navarro is also facing charges of rape and acts of lasciviousness against Cornejo. Navarro’s camp has denied the allegations against him.—AOL, GMA Integrated News