Due to "insufficient evidence," the Sandiganbayan on Monday cleared pork barrel "mastermind" Janet-Lim Napoles and an ex-lawmaker of plunder charges related to the multibillion Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF scam.

In a ruling handed down by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Napoles and former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives Partylist Rep. Edgar Valdez were acquitted of plunder charges but convicted in another case.

The court found Napoles guilty of nine counts of corruption of a public official, while Valdez was slapped with nine counts of direct bribery.

They were sentenced to up to six years behind bars and were each meted a fine of P26,996,700.

Meanwhile, in absolving Napoles and Valdez of plunder, the Sandiganbayan cited "insufficient evidence" that the two "amassed, accumulated and or acquired at least 50 million pesos of PDAF funds through kickbacks and or commissions."

Valdez, who was the first party-list lawmaker to be indicted over the pork barrel scam, was accused of funneling his over P50 million PDAF through bogus non-government organizations allegedly run by Napoles in exchange for kickbacks.

According to the information filed by the Ombudsman, Valdez pocketed P56 million in kickbacks from Napoles. The amount was over the P50-million threshold for the crime of plunder.

Valdez was among numerous lawmakers who faced plunder charges for allegedly channeling their pork barrel to Napoles' bogus foundations in exchange for kickbacks.

Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, and ex-House member Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, were among the other lawmakers accused of plunder in relation to the pork barrel scam.

The PDAF allocated to lawmakers were lump-sum and discretionary funds intended to empower them "to identify key projects that local government units could not fund," according to the Department of Budget and Management.

It was later abolished after it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in November 2013.

Napoles, the principal suspect in the scam, was convicted in 2018 and is still serving a sentence for plunder and graft charges, all related to the pork barrel scam.

Prior to their acquittal, the Sandiganbayan repeatedly turned down Napoles' and Valdez' bid to dismiss their plunder cases.

Back in May, the Sandiganbayan also found Napoles not guilty of 16 graft cases in connection with the multimillion pork barrel scam.