CSCST cashier faces malversation charges

CEBU - A cashier of a state college in Cebu City was charged with malversation of public funds before the Regional Trial Court after she allegedly embezzled almost P.5 million in government funds four years ago.

The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has indicted Corazon Soco, OIC-cashier of the Cebu State College of Science and Technology main campus, for violation of the Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code otherwise known as the malversation of public funds last August 2007 yet.

However the indictment was approved by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez only last July. The information of the case reached the Regional Trial Court criminal records division yesterday afternoon.

Soco was required to pay P40,000 bail to avail herself of temporary liberty.

The anti-graft office found probable cause to hold Soco for trial because of her alleged failure to immediately remit the P481,108,09 collections. A team of auditors from the Commission on Audit discovered the alleged shortage during an annual audit conducted in 2005.

State auditors found out that there were several deficiencies in the control system that Soco followed in handling the school funds. Soco allegedly delegated the collection of payments to office assistants who are not even regular employees of the school.

When the collections were turned over, Soco did not check the official receipts before receiving it. It was also observed that she did not have control over the issuance of receipts after the daily turning over of collections and that they continued to receive payments even after cut-off time.

Soco explained to the graft investigators that the shortage discovered by the audit team actually represented the collection received by the office assistants. She claimed that she could not countercheck and verify the receipts because there was no duplicate copy submitted to her.

She denied misappropriating the government funds claiming that it was never turned over to her by the two office assistants. Nevertheless, Soco has paid the amount and deposited it to the school’s depository bank before the 72-hour deadline set by the Commission on Audit had lapsed.

But despite her having been able to pay the amount, the anti-graft office still found her liable for malversation of public funds.

According to the Ombudsman, Soco’s explanation how she came to have a shortage in her accounts has proved how negligent she was in the custody of the government funds.

“This office cannot take favorable consideration of the restitution made by the respondent, especially not amid her negligent conduct as public accountable officer,” the Ombudsman said. – Fred P. Languido/BRP (THE FREEMAN)