Mayor, cashier face raps
FOR MISSING P29 MILLION
SAN CARLOS CITY–A case for malversation of public funds was filed on April 15 before the Ombudsman against Mayor Julier C. Resuello and his disbursing officer, Leny D. Fermin.
This came as a surprise to Resuello who is seeking a second term of office under the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-MD.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned citizens of San Carlos, represented by lawyer Moises Tolentino, Jr., asked the graft prosecuting body to immediately slap a 90-day suspension order against both respondents to prevent them from tampering with the relevant records and influencing witnesses.
Tolentino further asked the Ombudsman to conduct a thorough investigation on three incidents where a total of P16 million in government funds, much of which were intended to pay city hall employees, have gone missing.
The complaint stemmed from three separate investigation reports, one from the National Bureau of Investigation, another by a fact finding committee formed by the city government of San Carlos and third, by the Sangguniang Panglungsod.
Central to the graft case was the “disappearance” of P9 million withdrawn by Fermin from the Land Bank branch in San Carlos on March 31, 2009.
Grilled by investigators, Fermin claimed she was robbed by a couple inside the bank only minutes after she encashed the check.
All three investigation bodies found her testimony without credence.
Two other “lost” LandBank checks drawn from the city coffers were traced by investigators to have been deposited in Fermin’s personal bank account with the MetroBank San Carlos branch.
The P9 million check which bore number 321953 was dated March 31, 2009 but was reported missing by Fermin 48 days later.
The check cleared for deposit in the accounts of Fermin bore number 321893 and issued by the city government on March 19, 2009 amounting to P2 million while the last check that found its way into her private bank account was worth P5 million bearing number 321956 and dated April 3, 2009.
Despite these, there was no disciplinary action taken by the mayor against Fermin, prompting the complaint against Resuello.
The three consecutive cases where public funds were funneled into the wrong pockets were only the latest uncovered by investigators in San Carlos under Resuello’s administration.
Government records also show that a P19.2 million amount entrusted to city cashier Marilyn Soliven was found missing by the Commission on Audit in its July 2009 report while another P1.13 million in the custody of collection officer Carmencita Marty remains unaccounted for.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
