Sandigan junks graft case vs Devanadera

MANILA, Philippines -  Another graft case has been dismissed due to what the Sandiganbayan describes as the inordinate delay in investigating the complaint.

The Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft charges against former solicitor general Agnes Devanadera for her supposed participation in the allegedly anomalous P6.1-billion settlement deal between the Philippine National Construction Corp. and a private firm in 2006.

In a 12-page resolution promulgated on May 16, the anti-graft court’s First Division granted her petition for the dismissal of the case on grounds of alleged violation by the Office of the Ombudsman of Devanadera’s constitutional right to speedy trial.

Devanadera filed the motion after the court, in its April 7 ruling, junked the cases against 12 other defendants due to the inordinate delay of the ombudsman in investigating the complaint against them.

She said the ruling must apply to her case in accordance with the equal protection clause provided in the Constitution.

Devanadera argued that her graft case and the charges against the other defendants involved the same set of evidence.

“The motion is impressed with merits...The resolution equally applies to Devanadera,” read the resolution penned by division chairman Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz.

Associate Justices Geraldine Faith Econg and Bernelito Fernandez concurred with the ruling.

The Sandiganbayan maintained that the prosecution failed to justify why it took them six years to resolve the complaint.