The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday found former military comptroller Carlos Garcia guilty of perjury for misdeclaration of his statements of assets and liabilities in 2000.

In its decision, the anti-graft court's Fourth Division ordered Garcia jailed from one year and eight months to two years.

The former military comptroller has been acquitted of two counts of perjury by two other divisions of the anti-graft court. He is facing one more perjury case.

Garcia, his wife and three sons are also facing plunder cases at the Second Division for allegedly amassing P303.27 million ill-gotten wealth during his active military service.

A radio dzMM report said the government has already sequestered P100-million worth of property of the former comptroller.

The string of cases filed against Garcia and his family started after one of his sons was arrested by the US customs at the San Francisco airport for failing to declare US$100,000 in Dec. 19, 2003.

The government's ombudsman office and the military started investigating Garcia's suspicious wealth in 2004.

In 2005, Garcia was convicted by the military's general court martial and ordered dismissed from the service. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor.

The former military comptroller is currently detained at the National Police's custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

ABS-CBN correspondent Timi Nubla reported that Garcia's lawyers had posted a P12,000 bail bond at the Sandiganbayan.

The report said the bail bond was paid by the lawyers to expedite the former military officer's release in case he is acquitted by the anti-graft court from the plunder charge.

RELATED LINKS:

• Cover-up in the Military
• Anti-Money Laundering Council Chief Investigator Testifies against Former Army Comptroller