[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=’For 3rd time, Sandiganbayan OKs Lopez’s trip abroad’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Saturday, March 3, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
THE Sandiganbayan Seventh Division has once again granted the request of former Bacolod City councilor Carlo Jose Lopez to travel abroad – this time to Vietnam.
In a two-page resolution released on Friday, the Sandiganbayan’s special court has granted Lopez’s motion for leave of court to travel to Vietnam from March 5 to 8 this year.
The itinerary that Lopez submitted to the anti-graft court showed that he will be staying at The Reverie Saigon while in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“Over the objection of the prosecution, the instant motion was granted during the hearing of the motion, subject to the usual terms and conditions imposed by the court,” part of the resolution stated.
The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has earlier granted Lopez’s trip to Dubai from Jan. 25 to 30 and to Japan from Feb. 11 to 21 this year.
The Office of the Ombudsman has charged Lopez before the Sandiganbayan with three counts of usurpation of official functions under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code.
He was later ordered dismissed from service after being found guilty of grave misconduct for issuing truck ban exemptions to certain truck companies and individuals operating within Bacolod in 2013.
The decision stated that Lopez committed grave misconduct considering that he, under pretense of official position and without being lawfully entitled to do so, issued truck ban exemptions to the truck companies and individuals operating within the city.
In his counter-affidavit, Lopez stated that there was no deliberate intent on his part to usurp the power and authority saying that his letter to exempt was merely recommendatory.
On Wednesday, the anti-graft court has granted Lopez’s plea for a leave of court permission to file a demurrer to evidence to contest the court’s admission of the prosecution’s witnesses./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
