January 3, 2001, Sun Star, Cover-up attempt aborted: banker,
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January 3, 2001, Sun Star, Cover-up attempt aborted: banker,
MANILA -- Bank official Clarissa Ocampo told senator-jurors at President Estrada's impeachment trial Tuesday of moves to hide a supposedly secret bank account of Estrada's by transferring it to one of his friends.
Ocampo told the Senate impeachment court that documents to transfer the account to businessman Jaime Dichaves were prepared and signed by Dichaves a few days after the impeachment trial began.
However, the transfer was not completed because a letter of authority from the principal holder of the account, allegedly held by Estrada in the name Jose Velarde, was not given to her.
The signing of documents on the transfer was supposed to have taken place in the office of defense lawyer Estelito Mendoza, whom Ocampo knew well because his daughter was her childhood friend.
Ocampo, whose testimony last Dec. 22 energized those hoping for Estrada's conviction, said she has become more apprehensive after Saturday's five bombing attacks in Metro Manila.
She explained, however, that she chose to testify because she wanted no hand in the Velarde arrangement or the attempted cover-up, and that she feared for her life. "This is the government. This is Malacañang."
During breaks, Ocampo was escorted by at least one member of the House prosecution panel, an arrangement that had the approval of Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
Ocampo, in later questions, answered that lawyer Ferdinand Chua, representative of President Estrada, visited her at her office and started asking about the trust agreement documents.
When she told him that she had forwarded these to senior management, she quoted Chua as saying that he hoped that the actions are "towards the protection of the President."
Days later, she was asked to prepare a transfer of the P500-million fund in the trust agreement to Jaime Dichaves.
The first set of documents, Ocampo said, was signed in her office while the second was at the office of Mendoza.
Mendoza acknowledged that Ocampo, Dichaves and others were in his office that day but said no documents were signed in his presence. Citing failing health, he also said he would consider withdrawing from the case, but denied any professional misconduct.
Ocampo told the court on Dec. 22 that Estrada had set up the account in the name Jose Velarde.
Go's instructions
The prosecution has said the existence of the account, an investment agreement for P500 million, would prove charges of corruption against Estrada and force his removal from office.
Ocampo said the instruction to prepare the documents to transfer the account to Dichaves came from former Equitable-PCI chairman George Go.
Go resigned last month after the prosecution said Estrada was keeping a secret account with the bank.
"It was actually instructed by Mr. George Go," Ocampo said.
"He (Mendoza) was there, I talked to him," Ocampo said.
Tight watch
As Day 13 unfolded, security at the Senate, was tight after a bloody weekend in which 15 people were killed and more than 100 injured in five bomb attacks around the capital, which police blamed on extremist groups.
In her testimony on Dec. 22, the last day before the holiday recess, Ocampo told the court that she was sitting next to President Estrada at the presidential palace when he signed a bank agreement to invest P500 million using the name Jose Velarde.
She said the investment was to be funded from one of Estrada's accounts in the bank.
The amount is about 14 times Estrada's declared assets of P35.8 million at the end of 1999.
At the trial's resumption, defense lawyers again repeatedly objected to Ocampo's testimony as irrelevant but Chief Justice Davide allowed the prosecution to proceed with its questioning of the witness.
His condition was that the prosecution would present proof that the P500 million was ill-gotten.
The defense refused to cross-examine Ocampo after the prosecutors finished their questioning, claiming that if it did so it would lend credence to her testimony.
The series of bomb explosions Saturday spooked local financial markets and the peso fell to a historic low of P52 to the dollar when trade resumed after the holiday weekend.
Besides bribery and corruption, Estrada is also accused of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
Conviction on any one charge by a two-thirds majority of the 22-member Senate will remove him from office. (From the wires)
Ocampo told the Senate impeachment court that documents to transfer the account to businessman Jaime Dichaves were prepared and signed by Dichaves a few days after the impeachment trial began.
However, the transfer was not completed because a letter of authority from the principal holder of the account, allegedly held by Estrada in the name Jose Velarde, was not given to her.
The signing of documents on the transfer was supposed to have taken place in the office of defense lawyer Estelito Mendoza, whom Ocampo knew well because his daughter was her childhood friend.
Ocampo, whose testimony last Dec. 22 energized those hoping for Estrada's conviction, said she has become more apprehensive after Saturday's five bombing attacks in Metro Manila.
She explained, however, that she chose to testify because she wanted no hand in the Velarde arrangement or the attempted cover-up, and that she feared for her life. "This is the government. This is Malacañang."
During breaks, Ocampo was escorted by at least one member of the House prosecution panel, an arrangement that had the approval of Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
Ocampo, in later questions, answered that lawyer Ferdinand Chua, representative of President Estrada, visited her at her office and started asking about the trust agreement documents.
When she told him that she had forwarded these to senior management, she quoted Chua as saying that he hoped that the actions are "towards the protection of the President."
Days later, she was asked to prepare a transfer of the P500-million fund in the trust agreement to Jaime Dichaves.
The first set of documents, Ocampo said, was signed in her office while the second was at the office of Mendoza.
Mendoza acknowledged that Ocampo, Dichaves and others were in his office that day but said no documents were signed in his presence. Citing failing health, he also said he would consider withdrawing from the case, but denied any professional misconduct.
Ocampo told the court on Dec. 22 that Estrada had set up the account in the name Jose Velarde.
Go's instructions
The prosecution has said the existence of the account, an investment agreement for P500 million, would prove charges of corruption against Estrada and force his removal from office.
Ocampo said the instruction to prepare the documents to transfer the account to Dichaves came from former Equitable-PCI chairman George Go.
Go resigned last month after the prosecution said Estrada was keeping a secret account with the bank.
"It was actually instructed by Mr. George Go," Ocampo said.
"He (Mendoza) was there, I talked to him," Ocampo said.
Tight watch
As Day 13 unfolded, security at the Senate, was tight after a bloody weekend in which 15 people were killed and more than 100 injured in five bomb attacks around the capital, which police blamed on extremist groups.
In her testimony on Dec. 22, the last day before the holiday recess, Ocampo told the court that she was sitting next to President Estrada at the presidential palace when he signed a bank agreement to invest P500 million using the name Jose Velarde.
She said the investment was to be funded from one of Estrada's accounts in the bank.
The amount is about 14 times Estrada's declared assets of P35.8 million at the end of 1999.
At the trial's resumption, defense lawyers again repeatedly objected to Ocampo's testimony as irrelevant but Chief Justice Davide allowed the prosecution to proceed with its questioning of the witness.
His condition was that the prosecution would present proof that the P500 million was ill-gotten.
The defense refused to cross-examine Ocampo after the prosecutors finished their questioning, claiming that if it did so it would lend credence to her testimony.
The series of bomb explosions Saturday spooked local financial markets and the peso fell to a historic low of P52 to the dollar when trade resumed after the holiday weekend.
Besides bribery and corruption, Estrada is also accused of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
Conviction on any one charge by a two-thirds majority of the 22-member Senate will remove him from office. (From the wires)
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