(Eagle News)– The Sandiganbayan has junked the graft case against former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Romulo Neri over the alleged anomalous national broadband network (NBN) project with ZTE Corporation in 2007.
In a ruling declared on Friday (September 9), the Sandiganbayan’s Special Fifth Division granted the objection to evidence filed by Neri to dismiss the case filed against him in 2010.
Neri was accused of being involved in the controversial deal due to lunch and golf sessions with former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairperson Benjamin Abalos and ZTE officials.
The Sandiganbayan found the prosecution’s evidence insufficient to prove that Neri was guilty of violating Section 3(h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“The prosecution failed to discharge the burden of proving that accused Neri violated Section 3(h) of the Republic Act 3019 by proof beyond reasonable doubt for its failure to satisfactorily establish that said accused had financial or pecuniary interest, directly or indirectly, in the subject NBN-ZTE deal,” said the court.
According to the anti-graft court, Neri’s role was only “passive” since he was only approached for consultation by ZTE and Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. owned by businessman Jose de Venecia III, which submitted the NBN proposal to Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
“It is common and ordinary experience for people to consult with those who they believe are experts/knowledgeable on matters being inquired about. Abalos and his group, obviously pushing for the ZTE proposal, certainly had reason to believe that Neri, being the NEDA Director General, was the right person to approach for guidance/enlightenment on how they would go about the NBN-ZTE project getting an approval by NEDA,” the Sandiganbayan added.