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Ex-governor Ampatuan says ‘not guilty’ on graft raps

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Former Maguindanao Gov. Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan on Tuesday entered a not guilty plea to 36 corruption cases that the prosecution filed against him at the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division in connection with the alleged anomalous disbursement of P16,317,559 to a food supplier.

Ampatuan entered the plea during his supposed arraignment at the anti-graft division as the prosecution said the food supplier Henry Merchandising—the recipient of the P16,317,559 payment—was allegedly “fictitious and/or nonexistent.”

Ampatuan is facing one count of malversation of public funds, one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and 34 counts of falsification of public documents. He is also facing 145 charges at the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division for 137 counts of falsification of public documents, four counts of malversation of public funds and four counts of graft in connection with an allegedly anomalous P72-million school building project. His arraignment on these cases that was scheduled Monday, June 13, 2017 at the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division was reset to Sept. 4, 2017.

Ampatuan is the son of the late former Maguindanao governor and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was released from jail on March 9, 2015 after posting an P11.6-million bail. Ampatuan earlier posted an P11.6-million bail in connection with the Maguindanao massacre. He posted bail two months after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 granted his appeal in January 2015 for temporary liberty and set his bail at P200,000 per murder count, or a total of P11.6 million for the 58 counts filed before the court.

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