The Ombudsman has lifted the six-month preventive suspension slapped on 72 of the initial 139 National Food Authority (NFA) officials tagged in the alleged anomalous sale of 75,000 rice bags to private traders.

In an order released on Tuesday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said the suspension imposed on the 72 NFA warehouse supervisors was no longer necessary since the documentary evidence the Ombudsman had sought had already been secured.

“There is insufficient ground to believe that their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them,” the order read.

“Thus, the continued preventive suspension of the afore-named warehouse supervisors is no longer necessary.”

The 72 supervisors oversaw warehouse in Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccskargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

They were among the 139 NFA officials, including the administrator, Roderico Bioco, slapped with a six-month preventive suspension in March over the improper sale of 75,000 bags of “aging” and “deteriorating” rice buffer stock to private rice traders.

The Ombudsman flagged the transaction after it found that the supplies, which were allegedly re-bagged by commercial traders and sold at a higher price, were found to be still fit for human consumption.

Bioco earlier said the sale of the rice was necessary to spur the NFA’s operational funds.