(Eagle News)–The Sandiganbayan has junked the bail pleas of two former immigration commissioners charged in connection with the P50-million bribery scandal in the Bureau of Immigration and their co-accused.
The Sixth Division dismissed the bail petitions of Al Argosino and Michael Robles, and former policeman Wally Sombero after it ruled the prosecution had proven they should stand trial for plunder.
Sombero was allegedly the middleman of businessman Jack Lam, who is accused of paying Argosino and Robles P50 million in exchange for the release of his workers who had been arrested earlier for violation of immigration laws.
According to the anti-graft court, the P50 million was also accounted for, contrary to the Department of Justice’s claim that it was short by P1,000 and therefore did not reach the threshold for plunder.
It said P2 million was with Office of the Ombudsman after Sombero turned over the amount in 2016.
Calima turned over P18 million to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the remaining P30 million was complete based on a count done by the anti-graft court on August 8, 2018.