COA records officer testifies in P41-B DOH fund transfer graft trial

A Commission on Audit (COA) official on Monday took the witness stand in the graft trial of former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) chief Lloyd Christopher Lao before the Sandiganbayan.

The witness, COA records officer Ejlun Jumamil, testified as the records custodian of the audit findings on the P41-billion fund transfer at the center of the graft case involving the alleged transfer of Department of Health (DOH) funds to the PS-DBM for the procurement of anti-COVID-19 supplies.

Prosecutors alleged that the P41 billion in DOH funds was transferred to the PS-DBM, then headed by Lao, for the procurement of pandemic supplies, including transactions linked to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

The P41-billion procurement covered medical supplies such as detection kits, nucleic acid extraction machines, mechanical ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), surgical masks, cadaver bags, and various test kits.

Ombudsman prosecutors alleged that Duque authorized the fund transfer even though it would not hasten project implementation and despite the DOH’s capacity and proficiency to undertake the procurement itself.

Following Jumamil's testimony, the defense counsels for Duque and Lao waived cross-examination after both parties stipulated that the COA official had no direct participation in the fund transfer and was not part of the COA audit team that examined the use of the DOH funds.

Government prosecutors also sought to present what they described as “new evidence,” but the defense objected, saying they needed to verify whether it had been included in the prosecution’s pre-trial brief or list of evidence.

The prosecution said the evidence had not been included in the pre-trial brief because it was not yet available at the time.

The Sandiganbayan First Division ruled that the merits of the new evidence would be tackled at a later date.

The next hearings are scheduled for July 6 and July 20, with the prosecution expected to present an Ombudsman prosecutor as its next witness.—MCG, GMA News