The Sandiganbayan has barred Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Mohit Dargani from traveling abroad, ruling that his dual citizenship and pending graft case make him a “heightened flight risk.”

Dargani, a key figure in the alleged overpriced sale of Covid-19 medical supplies, had sought clearance to travel to Spain, Germany, and Thailand from 16 to 28 November for a routine medical checkup, a medical trade fair, business meetings, and a cousin’s wedding.

In a resolution dated 7 November, the Sandiganbayan rejected the request despite Dargani’s assurance that he had no intent to flee, citing his compliance with previous court subpoenas and his permanent residency in the Philippines with his partner and 10-month-old son.

The court cited that Dargani holds dual citizenship in the Philippines and Spain, which “affords the accused the facility to easily enter and remain in a foreign jurisdiction, potentially complicating or frustrating extradition procedures, should he fail to return.”

The Sandiganbayan also cited the fact that Dargani’s sister, Twinkle Dargani — Pharmally’s president and a co-accused — remains at large and has yet to be arraigned, which further fueled concerns of possible evasion.

“The grounds for travel are either routine, can be conducted remotely, or are purely for leisure,” the court ruled. “Coupled with the material non-disclosure of his dual citizenship and the attendant flight risk, the court cannot be assured that the accused will faithfully comply with the condition of his provisional liberty and return as promised.”

To recall, Dargani was indicted for graft by the Ombudsman in 2023, along with co-accused former PS-DBM officer-in-charge Christopher Lloyd Lao.

The case stemmed from the alleged P4.16 billion worth of contracts Pharmally, a startup with small capital, bagged in 2020 for 51,400 units of RT-PCR test kits.

During the Senate investigation into pandemic deals in 2021, the Dargani siblings were arrested in Davao City while reportedly attempting to flee the country aboard a private plane bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.