Two former Bureau of Immigration (BI) deputy commissioners and a retired cop entered “not guilty” pleas yesterday in connection with the P50-million bribery complaint against them at the Sandiganbayan.
Ex-BI deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, as well as Wally Sombero, faced the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division for the non-bailable offense of plunder.
The two former BI officials allegedly received the amount from Sombero, allegedly acting as a middleman of Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam.
The money was allegedly in exchange for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers apprehended at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga.
The Sandiganbayan has already junked the petitions of Argosino and Robles seeking to dismiss the plunder charge filed against them by the Office of the Ombudsman after finding sufficient basis to hold them for trial.
Buddies, associates? One happy family?
A traditional dish called zongzi is served during China’s Dragon Boat Festival, which falls in June. It is a rice…
Divina credited the firm’s achievements to its members, thanking them for their ‘hard work, dedication, teamwork, and…
‘Sec. Vince Dizon, please explain how this finding of your own team should not be flagged as a ghost project in Taguig.’
While plunder is generally not bailable, the court set bail hearings for Sombero on July 13, 20, and 27.
The case had been the subject of several congressional hearings, as well as an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The pre-trial proceedings on all cases are scheduled on July 6.
