Puno indicted over Mahogany contract

Former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno was indicted anew by the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday for his involvement in the allegedly anomalous P3.6-billion drug testing deal.

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto told a press conference that Puno and two other police officials were found to have modified a 1996 agreement giving Mahogany Medical and Pharmaceutical Supplies Inc. the exclusive authority to conduct drug tests for policemen nationwide.

Also implicated were former Philippine National Police chief Director General Roberto Lastimoso and PNP legal chief Rodolfo Vejano.

"On preliminary investigation, it was determined that Puno, Lastimoso and Vejano acted with manifest partiality and evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence in giving unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference to Mahogany," the Ombudsman said.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman said "there is insufficient evidence to indict" Carlito Cubello, chief executive officer of Mahogany.

A statement from Puno's lawyer said the case filed against the former interior secretary "defies logic."

"The facts and evidence on record tell a totally different story," the unsigned statement said.

"In the first place, there was no perfected contract between the government and Mahogany," it said. "Hence, there are no rights that are enforceable and no obligations to comply with under the said transactions."