Payback time for prosecutor in Garcia plea deal

MANILA, Philippines (June 15 2011) - Malacañang has suspended a female government prosecutor after she was formally charged with graft and betrayal of public trust for his involvement in the controversial plea bargaining agreement between the Office of the Ombudsman and retired military comptroller Carlos F. Garcia.

Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said that Ombudsman Special Prosecutor Wendell Barreras Sulit shall be on preventive suspension for three months aimed at preventing possible tampering of records and other evidence that she might have access to.

“Pending investigation of said charges, respondent (Sulit) is hereby placed under preventive suspension for a period of 90 days, effective upon receipt hereof, considering the seriousness of the charges, the existence of prima facie case against respondent that she is probably guilty thereof which warrants her removal from the service and respondent’s continuance in the office may pose threat to the safety and integrity of the record and other evidence,” the Palace order read.

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro has promptly directed Sulit to “cease and desist from performing official and administrative functions at the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

Sulit has 10 days to file her answer before the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs.

Sulit is identified as the "architect" of the plea bargain deal that accused plunderer General Garcia forged with the Office of the Ombudsman under Merciditas Gutierrez. The deal allowed Garcia to walk on the original plunder charge against him after he pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of direct bribery. Moreover, Garcia is only being asked to return to the government half of the P303.27 million ill-gotten wealth that he had amassed while working in the military.

Garcia is out on P60,000 bail made possible by the plea bargain that many think as highly flawed. Plunder is a non unbailable offense. (From philstar.com)