A businessman-friend of President Joseph Estrada has come forward to claim ownership of a bank account, details of which are sought as evidence in the Philippine leader's corruption trial, officials said Monday.
Prosecutors allege that the account under the name of Jose Valhalla is a front for its real owner -- Estrada.
They also charge that the president used funds from the account to acquire an 88 million-peso (1.76 million-dollar) mansion to set up one of his mistresses. They argue the amount is well beyond Estrada's annual salary of 13,000 dollars.
Prosecutor Joker Arroyo told the Senate tribunal that businessman Jaime Dichaves has since written a letter to the prosecutors claiming ownership of the Valhalla account.
"This is not a pleading," Arroyo said of the letter on Monday. "To us this scrap of paper is just a letter."
He denounced Dichaves, known as one of Estrada's closest friends, for making a "cheap shot".
"Through a simple letter he would like to save the president," he added.
Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide, the presiding officer of the tribunal, ruled that "the letter is simply noted, until some kind of an appropriate pleading may be filed."
The Equitable PCI Bank has turned over to the Senate tribunal, sitting in judgment on Estrada's fitness to remain in office, the records of the Jose Valhalla account.
Davide ruled last week that prosecutors may inspect the bank records, but has deferred the unsealing of the document until after Tuesday to allow any of the senator-judges to appeal the decision.
Estrada has been impeached for bribery, corruption, culpable violation of the constitution and betraying public trust.
If found guilty by a two-thirds vote in the Senate trial he is automatically thrown out of office -- MANILA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
