THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) has suspended at least six officials of the Nueva Ecija II Area 2 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II Area 2) for alleged stolen employees’ retirement funds.
NEA administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said the irregularity was brought to his attention after NEECO II Area 2 officials discovered multiple unauthorized withdrawals through the depository bank account of the electric cooperative .
Almeda placed six members of the NEECO II Area 2 board of trustees, who were in charge of the retirement, under a 90-day preventive suspension.
Those suspended were accused of gross neglect of duty for failing to protect the electric cooperative and the interests of its stakeholders.
The NEA also installed a project supervisor for the cooperative while the investigation was ongoing.
The suspension order was handed down by virtue of the NEA Reform Act of 2013, which authorizes the state-owned corporation to impose disciplinary action against the erring officers.
The NEA also sought assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation for a thorough probe on the matter to pinpoint criminal liability.