Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari on Friday failed to show up at his scheduled arraignment at the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division.
Instead, Misuari’s lawyer, Robert Callos, appeared before the anti-graft court on his behalf, prompting the court to defer the arraignment as it requires the accused to personally appear before the court.
The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division reset the arraignment on Feb. 27.
Misuari, the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor, is facing two counts each of graft and malversation by falsification owing to the alleged anomalous procurement of educational materials worth P115.2 million during his term.
Misuari and his co-accused allegedly conspired with one another to give “unwarranted benefits, advantage and privilege” to MBJ Learning Tools, CPR Publishing, and White Orchids Printing.
But Ombudsman investigators said “no such materials were delivered” by the three companies.
Misuari earlier posted P460,000 bail at the Davao City Regional Trial Court for his provisional liberty.
The anti-graft court’s Third Division earlier denied Misuari’s motion to dismiss. But he was able to avail of the remedy to appeal the denial of that motion.
Misuari said the allegedly anomalous transactions were “consummated” from 2003 to 2004, two years after he had already stepped down as ARMM governor.