Hiniling ng mga state prosecutor sa Sandiganbayan na suspendihin sa kanilang mga puwesto si Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Mario Relampagos at siyam pang opisyal at empleado na kinasuhan ng graft kaugnay sa Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

Sa kanilang mosyon na isinumite sa Sandiganbayan Third Division, nais ng Office of the Special Prosecutor Ombudsman na suspendihin si Relampagos at ang mga staff nito na sina Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule, at Marilou Bare.

Bukod sa kanilang apat, ipinupursige rin ng state prosecutors ang suspension nina Technology Resource Center (TRC) chief accountant Marivic Jover; Gondelina Amata, president ng National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC); at apat pang opisyal at empleado ng na NLDC na sina Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Chita Jalandoni, Sofia Cruz, at Gregoria Buenaventura.

Sinabi ng state prosecutors sa korte na ang 10 akusado ay binasahan ng sakdal sa multiple counts of violating Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) kaugnay sa tinaguriang pork barrel scam.

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Tinukoy ang Section 13 of R.A. 3019, binigyang diin ng prosekusyon na sa ilalim ng batas “any incumbent public officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information under this act or under Title Seven, Book II of the Revised Penal Code or for any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property whether as a simple or as a complex offense and in whatever stage of execution and mode of participation, is pending in court, shall be suspended from office.”

Kaugnay nito, sinabi ng prosekusyon na “considering that all the said accused were charged and arraigned under valid information, the suspension of the above-named accused should proceed accordingly.”