Hold order sought for fertilizer scam witness

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee has asked the Department of Justice yesterday to issue a hold departure order against businessman Jaime Paule, one of the alleged conspirators in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Sen. Richard Gordon, committee chairman, made the request in a letter he sent to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to prevent Paule from fleeing the country while he is still under investigation by the Senate.

“We have to request for a hold departure order because we have to make sure that Mr. Paule does not leave the country while he is still under investigation,” Gordon said in a statement.

Gordon said the committee is taking all necessary actions to prevent witnesses from escaping the Senate probe.

He said the Senate had been searching for Paule to testify before the hearings of the Blue Ribbon and agriculture committees of the 14th Congress.

The Blue Ribbon committee had a hard time looking for Paule since there are several other Jimmy Paules in the records of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Gordon said that it was only an arrest order issued by the committee that prompted Paule to surrender to the Senate last Dec. 23. Paule testified last Tuesday at the Senate, denying any role in the fertilizer fund scam.

He explained that Paule has been evasive and testifying falsely during last Tuesday’s hearing, as proven by the statements of almost all the other witnesses present at the inquiry.

The Senate committee is set to decide within the week whether to cite Paule in contempt and detain him and Marilyn Araos, who were both evasive in their answers.

“The members of the committee agreed that Paule has been very evasive. It is the same with Araos. So depending on the consensus of the committee members, Paule and Araos may be cited in contempt,” Gordon said.

While Paule maintained that he does not know Araos and that he never worked with Marites Aytona for the Department of Agriculture’s farm input-farm implement project, the two witnesses contradicted his claim.

Araos, the sole signatory in the bank account of Feshan Philippines, said she was ordered by Paule to open a bank account for Feshan, the biggest fertilizer supplier in the project. She also signed blank checks for the company.

She said Paule threatened that she would lose her job if she refused to comply with his orders. Araos is a “runner” for the project for local government units in Regions III and IV, where she gets one percent commission for every transaction.

For her part, Aytona said it was Paule who asked her to make project proposals and was the one giving out instructions on which foundations would be accredited for the project.

Meanwhile, Leonicia Llarena, owner of Dane Publishing, also testified that Paule approached her to seek assistance in issuing checks for the project. Llarena and Paule and their respective families have been friends for some time.

Gordon said a case of false testimony could be filed against Paule.

“It is possible that a false testimony case may be filed against him (Paule). He hasn’t offered anything but denials. If false testimony is proven, he will be jailed,” Gordon said.