Caringal, Verzosa wife mum on summons by Russian officials

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/05/2008 11:16 PM

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The wife of the highest Philippine National Police (PNP) official and a recently-retired police general refused to comment on a letter from Russian authorities asking them to return to Moscow.

ABS-CBN News got hold of a copy of the letter, sent by Russian Customs officials to the Philippine Embassy in Moscow.

The letter asked Cynthia Verzosa, wife of PNP chief Director-General Jesus Verzosa, and former police director Jaime Caringal to explain further the 105,000 euros confiscated from former PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz and his wife at the Russia International Airport.

Dated October 31, the letter asked them to appear before the Department of Administrative Investigations of the Shremetyevo Airport customs on November 13, at 12 noon.

The request by the Moscow airport's customs office is part of the investigation on the non-declaration of dela Paz of 105,00 euros (roughly P7 million) on their way out of Moscow.

The letter stated that the two need to "give explanations for the violation of the laws of the Russian Federation and to let us make a decision if administrative offense case should be initiated."

Caringal said he has yet to receive a copy of the letter. He added, the matter is now with the Philippine’s Ombudsman.

Cynthia Verzosa, when cornered by members of the media, said she also has yet to see the letter. She said she does not know much about the issue.

PNP Chief Verzosa meanwhile said that they will await the decision of the Ombudsman on the case.

The PNP had submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman the statements of the police officials who were part of the Philippine delegation to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in Moscow which included the PNP chief’s wife.

Verzosa arrived in Zamboanga City on Wednesday to attend the turn over of command at the Police Regional Office IX and the retirement ceremony of Caringal, who is his "mistah" in PMA Class 76.

Not one of the speakers in the almost three-hour ceremony mentioned anything about the Moscow fund mess.

Caringal said he does not feeling sorry that his 36 years in service ended with a controversy.

In fact, Caringal said he "considering the issue as another challenge in his life, and if I have to live my life again, I will not change a thing."

Roxas: Issue will only rot in Ombudsman

Meanwhile Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II said Wednesday the investigation on the euro generals controversy will only rot in Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez's office.

"Nothing will happen to the investigation of the Ombudsman into the euro generals controversy. So many cases are already pending in Gutierrez' office because of her inaction on them...I am sure she will only put this in the backburner similar to what she has been doing with the other controversies which threatens to drag the tenants of Malacañang," he said in a statement.

This remark was made by Roxas in reaction to the decision of a special police investigation team to forward the case involving top PNP officials to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Roxas said that the euro generals mess would likely follow the route of other controversial cases such as the fertilizer scam involving former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante and the ZTE broadband deal exposes of Jun Lozada.

The senator urged Versoza to punish Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez for defying Versoza's order to immediately file cases against de La Paz and three other officials involved in the scandal.

Nerez, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region Police Office (CIDG-NCRPO), forwarded his panel's recommendations to the Ombudsman instead of directly charging dela Paz, Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestano, Senior Superintendent Tomas Rentoy, and Superintendent Samuel Rodriguez before the courts.

"Versoza has ordered the filing of cases against dela Paz and the three other officials involved in the unauthorized release of the P6.9 million from the PNP intelligence fund. Why did Nerez not heed the order? Why did he forward his findings to the Ombudsman? I am puzzled by his decision," he said.

Dela Paz was caught by Russian authorities last month with an undisclosed 105,000 euros (P6.9 million) from an Interpol meeting in Moscow.

An investigation by Nerez' team showed that the money was advanced by dela Paz from the PNP's intelligence/confidential funds, allegedly for purchase of intelligence equipment. The money was released by Pestano, Rentoy and Rodriguez without the authority of Versoza. With reports from Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN Zamboanga, and Gus Abelgas, ABS-CBN News

as of 11/06/2008 12:06 AM