LTO-7 to file malversation charges against cashier
The regional office of the Land Transportation Office is set to file charges against the disbursing officer accused of pocketing more than P5 million in payroll money before the anti-graft office today.
LTO-7 director Alex Leyson will be formally file criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against cashier Marissa Veriña for gross dishonesty and malversation of public funds.
In a two-page letter-complaint to deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol, Leyson said suspicions came up after several checks of the agency bounced upon encashment.
“The reasons were varied from no advice to insufficiency of funds,” said Leyson, “the monthly reconciliations conducted by our Finance Division reveal no discrepancy. This prompted our acting finance chief to secure bank statements from Land Bank of the
Last September 20, Leyson issued a memorandum to Veriña to explain the incident and to demand the return of the lost payroll money.
“After thorough and circumspect investigation conducted by our finance personnel on our records and that of the bank records, it was revealed that you have incurred a cash balance on our record book as of August 31, 2007 amounting to P2,815,407.65 while that of the bank amounts to P22,341.62,” Leyson said in his memo.
Being the cashier, Veriña is one of the two signatories of the checks issued by the LTO-7. The office entrusted her to place her name on an employee’s check for withdrawal of their salary.
But it was discovered that Veriña overstated the amount on the paychecks compared to the vouchers of the employees.
From January to March this year, Leyson said his office discovered a huge difference on the bank statements submitted by Veriña.
“As a result, the books of accounts of the Land Transportation Office-7 will not coincidence with that of Maria Corazon M. Basco, OIC, Finance and Management Division,” Leyson’s memo further read.
Leyson said that Veriña violated Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code “for having disbursed public finds without the necessary supporting documents.” - Gerome M. Dalipe/BRP
- Latest
- Trending
