THE Sandiganbayan will begin the trial proper next week for the plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against alleged pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and lawyer Jessica Lucille “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of the 91-year-old Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
The Third Division said marathon hearings will be conducted from Wednesdays to Fridays until July 7.
Napoles and Reyes are also facing multiple counts of graft raps for their involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.
But Enrile’s plunder case has been shelved due to the senator’s motion pending before the Supreme Court.
Government prosecutors on Wednesday presented Marina Sula, who also took the witness stand in the bail pleas of Napoles and Reyes, who were charged over their involvement in Enrile’s supposed P172-million commission from his Priority Development Assistance Fund funneled to the latter’s fake foundations.
Sula used to be Napoles’ property custodian and the president of Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc.
She told the anti-graft court of her personal knowledge in creating the names of several foundations of Napoles used as recipients of Enrile’s pork barrel fund.
According to Sula, she was able to register 20 ghost foundations with the Securities and Exchanges Commission, and opened saving accounts for each foundation.
She told the court that Napoles’ househelpers, drivers and relatives were the incorporators of the foundations.
The lawyer of Reyes, Anacleto Diaz, however, requested the anti-graft court to allow the stipulation of Sula’s testimonies made during the bail hearings.
Meanwhile, the camp of Napoles through her counsel, Stephen David, questioned the expedition of the plunder trial on his clients.
The anti-graft court ordered Napoles to appear in the hearing every Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
