THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday filed graft charges against Senator Lito Lapid over the fertilizer fund scam when he was then the governor of Pampanga.
Lapid was charged of violating Section 3(e) and 3(g) of Republic Act 3019.
In 2004, Lapid purchases 3,880 liters of macro-micro foliar fertilizer overpriced by P4.268 million.
The purchase gave undue benefits to Malayan Pacific Trading Corp. and D.A. Vazquez Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources.
Also charged were ex-Pampanga provincial accountant Benjamin Yuzon and provincial treasurer Vergel Yabut for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Ma. Victoria Aquino-Abubakar and Leolita Aquino, incorporators of Malayan Pacific Trading Corp. and Dexter Alexander Vasquez, proprietor of D.A. Vasquez Macro-Micro Fertilizer Resources were also charged for the scam.
The Ombudsman said the purchase of fertilizer from MPTC allegedly did not undergo public bidding and the transaction was done with “inordinate speed.”
“Vasquez applied for Product Registration with the Fertilizer Pesticide Authority only on August 15, 2005 after the transaction in May 2004 while MPTC has no Certificate of License to Operate and Product Registration,” the Ombudsman said.
