Ex-Zambales treasurer gets 10 years for fund misuse
A former municipal treasurer of San Antonio, Zambales was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division last January 30 for failure to account for public funds entrusted to her care, the anti-graft court said Sunday.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered Cecilia U. Legrama to pay a P1.13 million fine.
Legrama’s co-accused, former Municipal Mayor Romeo D. Lonzanida, was acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish its allegation of conspiracy between the two defendants.
In a 44-page decision, the anti-graft court held Legrama guilty of malversation of public funds and reprimanded her for attempting to deceive the court with outdated documents and records of expenditures presented in her defense.
“Accused Legrama failed to properly explain or justify the shortage in her accountability. By her failure to offer competent and credible evidence, she utterly failed to rebut the prima facie presumption of malversation, hence, her presumed innocence must yield to the finding that her conviction for malversation is warranted in the case at bar," the court said.
Case records showed government auditors conducted an inquiry into the municipal government’s finances covering the period from June to September 1996. The auditors said that Legrama’s account was found to be short by P1,152,900.75.
Testifying in her defense, Legrama tried to shift the blame on Lonzanida, claiming a large part of the missing sum was released to him and his representatives as cash advances that were never liquidated.
She asserted that she released P681,000 in cash to the mayor “during the height of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption."
Lonzanida, testifying in his turn, said he requested Legrama to facilitate the release of funds only for urgent purposes like medical expenses and scholarship grants.
In handing the verdict, the Sandiganbayan noted Legrama’s admission that she did not follow the required procedures in disbursing the funds to Lonzanida and his representatives.
Likewise, the court noted a discrepancy in the time frame cited by Legrama in her testimony
The Sandiganbayan has ordered Cecilia U. Legrama to pay a P1.13 million fine.
Legrama’s co-accused, former Municipal Mayor Romeo D. Lonzanida, was acquitted after the prosecution failed to establish its allegation of conspiracy between the two defendants.
In a 44-page decision, the anti-graft court held Legrama guilty of malversation of public funds and reprimanded her for attempting to deceive the court with outdated documents and records of expenditures presented in her defense.
“Accused Legrama failed to properly explain or justify the shortage in her accountability. By her failure to offer competent and credible evidence, she utterly failed to rebut the prima facie presumption of malversation, hence, her presumed innocence must yield to the finding that her conviction for malversation is warranted in the case at bar," the court said.
Case records showed government auditors conducted an inquiry into the municipal government’s finances covering the period from June to September 1996. The auditors said that Legrama’s account was found to be short by P1,152,900.75.
Testifying in her defense, Legrama tried to shift the blame on Lonzanida, claiming a large part of the missing sum was released to him and his representatives as cash advances that were never liquidated.
She asserted that she released P681,000 in cash to the mayor “during the height of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption."
Lonzanida, testifying in his turn, said he requested Legrama to facilitate the release of funds only for urgent purposes like medical expenses and scholarship grants.
In handing the verdict, the Sandiganbayan noted Legrama’s admission that she did not follow the required procedures in disbursing the funds to Lonzanida and his representatives.
Likewise, the court noted a discrepancy in the time frame cited by Legrama in her testimony
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:11 AM
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