Dismissed MCWD employee charged with graft in court

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has charged in court a former team leader of the pipelines maintenance department of the Metro Cebu Water District for malversation of public property.

Nicasio Supapo was indicted of the crime after he failed to account the P1,214,980 worth of materials entrusted to him.

Graft investigator Euphemia Bacalso who found probable cause to elevate the case before the Regional Trial Court has also recommended P40,000 bail for Supapo’s temporary liberty.

The anti-graft office also ordered earlier the dismissal of Supapo from service after he was found administratively guilty for serious dishonesty.

The anti-graft body found sufficient evidence to prove that Supapo has personally benefited of the unaccounted piping materials to the damage and prejudice of the government.

It was MCWD general manager Armando Paredes who filed the complaint against Supapo after he failed to account the brass fittings he has withdrawn from the water district.

According to Paredes, the accused has made massive withdrawal of brass fittings from January to August 2007, however, when the water district conducted an inventory it was found out that several brass fittings have been missing.

Supapo was ordered to submit his counter affidavit but the latter failed. The anti-graft office deemed Supapo’s failure to answer the complaint as a waiver of his right to avail of the preliminary investigation. — (FREEMAN)