[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Lopez on accusations: ‘Those are fabircated’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Wednesday. September 20, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
BACOLOD City – “Those are fabricated.”
This was how former councilor Carlos Jose Lopez described the accusations filed against him for usurpation of official functions before the Sandiganbayan.
Sandiganbayan associate justice Ma. Theresa Gomez-Estoesta and associate justices Zaldy Trespeses and Bayani Jacinto signed an order dated Aug. 29 following Lopez’s not guilty plea.
The order directed Lopez and his legal counsel to attend the preliminary conferences for the marking of documents and exhibits to be adopted in the pre-trial on Oct. 6.
“Certainly, I am not guilty,” Lopez told this reporter through a Facebook message.
On June 3, 2014, then mayor Monico Puentevella lodged a criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman in Iloilo City.
On March 9, 2015, the Ombudsman Field Investigation Office supplemented the complaint with an affidavit stating that Lopez had issued truck ban exemptions to certain companies and individuals operating in the city.
The Ombudsman found that Lopez was administratively guilty of grave misconduct, meting him with a dismissal penalty and its accessories, a Sept. 2, 2016 order stated.
The Ombudsman also found probable cause to indict Lopez with three counts of usurpation.
Lopez said, “By next year, I’m sure he (Puentevella) will be convicted.”
Today, Lopez will attend a trial at the Sandiganbayan for the P26-million overpriced computer purchase case of Puentevella./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
