RP prosecutors open mystery bank records
RP prosecutors open mystery bank records
MANILA (AP): Prosecutors in Philippine President Joseph
Estrada's impeachment trial obtained handwriting samples on
Wednesday that they say will prove the leader spent millions of
dollars in graft money under a false name.
The samples consist of six signatures in documents for an
account at Equitable PCI Bank that prosecutors claim Estrada used
to write a $2.8-million check to buy a mansion for one of his
mistresses.
Estrada denies he used the account or owns the mansion, which
was bought with funds from the account, but says it belongs to a
friend.
Prosecutors plan to call as a witness at least one handwriting
expert to try proving that the documents, signed "Jose Velarde,"
were actually signed by Estrada.
The person who signed the documents did not fill in other
information slots on the bank records, such as address,
occupation, nationality or the sum of the initial deposit.
The signature card, a sheet that account holders must sign
several times for future signature verification, was stamped
"dormant," meaning it had not been used for some time.
A prosecutor said the signature on a microfilm copy of the
$2.8-million check appeared to be different from signatures on
other documents from the same account.
The documents also show Velarde was introduced to the bank by
a person with the initials G.L.G.
Prosecutors said the initials could be those of George L. Go,
who stepped down on Tuesday as chairman of the bank, saying he
wanted to eliminate speculation that it was involved in
wrongdoing of any kind.
Go, a friend of Estrada, also resigned last month as a trustee
of a scholarship foundation for Muslim youth, which prosecutors
claim Estrada used as a front to cover up payoffs.
Estrada is on trial on counts of bribery, graft, betrayal of
public trust and violating the constitution. A guilty verdict by
two-thirds of the 22-member Senate on any of the four counts
would force him from office.
Jaime Dichaves, a prominent businessman, has said he holds the
Velarde account. Dichaves, a close friend of Estrada, did not say
why he opened the account under a different name and has not said
if the signatures were his.
In other testimony in the trial's tenth day Wednesday, a
witness said Estrada directly ordered a government agency to
grant a personal favor to a gambling buddy.
Rufo Colayco, the former president of Clark Development Corp.,
a government agency which runs an industrial free trade zone
north of Manila, said Estrada asked him to give a license to
operate a gas station to a personal friend, businessman Lucio Co,
despite competition for the license.
Colayco also said that he was fired by Estrada one day after
arguing with Co over how much rent a casino owned by Co would pay
the agency.
The impeachment trial centers on testimony by Luis Singson,
the governor of Ilocos Sur province and a reputed gambling boss.
Singson, a former gambling and drinking buddy of the president,
accuses Estrada of taking more than 400 million pesos
($8 million) in bribes from illegal gambling lords and skimming
130 million pesos in tax revenues intended for tobacco farmers.
Also Wednesday, officials said three of Estrada's closest
Cabinet aides will resign to run in next year's general
elections.
Cabinet Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said he will resign
by the end of this year and at least two other Cabinet officials,
Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim and Press Secretary Ricardo Puno,
will also resign to run in the polls.
The three Cabinet members have staunchly defended Estrada.