Prosecution of corruption cases: US fiscal urges Cebu fiscals to study the American method

Prosecutors in Cebu can study some methods in prosecuting corruption cases in the United States, said Laurel Beeler, the assistant US Attorney of the northern district of California.

Beeler, was the guest speaker of the Forum on Best Legal Practices in the Prosecution of Cases held at the University of San Carlos yesterday. He said the conviction of corruption cases in the Philippines has improved but there is still a lot to do to convict corrupt government officials.

Good investigation is the key to successful prosecution of corruption cases, and state prosecutors should not waver to pressures from the accused who are usually politicians and public officials, the lady prosecutor said.

However, it is not an easy thing, she admitted but told her audience, composed of prosecutors and students of Cebu, that the tool in prosecution and investigation of corruption cases is "act and not react."

Beeler said that to have good investigation, a prosecutor must have varied sources of information, thorough study of physical evidences, know better how to get documents and what kind of documents and issues about witnesses.

The various types of corruption cases are embezzlement, bribery, extortion, tax evasion, and frauds on health care, procurement, corporate, investment, and credit card.

Beeler said all frauds are reduced to lying, cheating and stealing like falsification of documents, defendant's lies to corporation and agents, breaking the rules, inconsistent stories, inadequate records, use of false names and signatures, concealment, among others.

She cited celebrated cases in the US involving corrupt officials who were subsequently convicted and imprisoned no matter how powerful they were.

In 2004, Beeler said a total of 1,213 federal, state and local officials were charged for corruption in the US, of which 1,020 were convicted and 419 have been awaiting trial. - Wenna A. Berondo