The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Secretary Mehol Sadain of graft, malversation, and falsification charges related to alleged anomalies involving P2.1 million from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of former Misamis Occidental Rep. Loreto Leo Ocampos in 2013.

In a resolution promulgated on 9 December, but made public recently, the anti-graft court’s Second Division granted Sadain’s demurrer to evidence, citing “insufficiency of evidence” from the prosecution.

Sadain’s co-accused, Josefina Candole and Jamie Ann Linsangan, president and project implementer of the Rich Islas de Filipinas Foundation Inc., respectively, also filed a similar petition. However, their petition was denied for lack of merit.