The Sandiganbayan has meted out two more life terms on Janet Lim Napoles, this time for two counts of malversation of public funds in connection with the unlawful use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of a former legislator.
The anti-graft court’s Special Third Division, in a 165-page decision promulgated on December 5, said it found Napoles and several others guilty of misusing public funds in projects linked to the pork barrel or PDAF of the late former Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa.
Dangwa and three others were dropped as respondents since they died during the pendency of the case, according to the decision written by Associate Justice Ronald Moreno.
In the case involving P10 million worth of Dangwa’s PDAF, also convicted with Napoles were Dennis Cunanan, former deputy director of the state-run Technology Resource Center (TRC); and Mylene Encarnacion, president of the Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development (CARED) Foundation, Inc.
Since he was with the government when he committed the offense, the anti-graft court also perpetually disqualified Cunanan from holding any public office.
Napoles and her fellow respondents were also slapped with a P10 million fine and ordered to return the P10 million to the government through the Bureau of the Treasury.
The fine and the penalty shall earn legal interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum computed from the finality of the decision until it is fully paid, the court added.
For the malversation case involving P9 million, the Sandiganbayan convicted Napoles and former National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC) president Gondelina Amata.
The anti-graft court likewise barred Amata from holding any public office.
Both Amata and Napoles were slapped with a P9 million fine, and were held liable, “jointly and severally, to return the P9 million to the BTr, which shall earn legal interest at the rate of six percent per year until it is fully paid.”
In the other malversation cases, Napoles and several other co-accused were imposed the penalty of reclusion temporal or up to 20 years imprisonment, and prision mayor or up to 12 years in prison.
In 2018, Napoles was found guilty for plunder, thus sentenced to life imprisonment. She is serving multiple sentences from earlier convictions, including for graft charges, related to the pork barrel scam.
