Stop witch-hunt, Estrada asks Senate

Jailed former President Joseph Estrada called on the Senate yesterday to call off its inquiry into allegations he laundered millions of dollars in drug money along with his former police chief.

This developed as former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Eli Gardiner denied that Indian businessman Dharm "Danny" Devnani was ever a member of Estrada’s "inner circle" who had personal knowledge of Estrada’s alleged criminal activities.

Devnani testified last week before three Senate committees probing criminal allegations against former Philippine National Police chief now Sen. Panfilo Lacson. The businessman accused Estrada of involvement in several criminal activities.

Estrada, in a statement from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center where he is detained, said the Senate inquiry has become a "farcical witch-hunt reminiscent of the dark days of the McCarthy era in the United States."

The probe is based on allegations by military intelligence chief Col. Victor Corpus that Estrada and Lacson deposited more than $700 million in various overseas banks. Corpus claimed the funds were sourced from criminal activities, including drug trafficking and kidnapping, since 1996.

Corpus said his accusations were meant to expose what he called the creeping menace of narco-politics in the country, where politicians and some members of the justice system have allegedly been bought out by drug syndicates.

Several senators allied with Estrada had said they wanted the hearings stopped, but the military brass and Malacañang have given support to Corpus.

Estrada’s estranged Indian friend portrayed him on Thursday as a gangland boss who "blesses all criminals" and who owned a club in San Juan where illegal gambling went on.

But Estrada on Monday stressed that Corpus had promised to back up his claims with "concrete and tangible evidence."

"He has not done so and has instead provided us with a trail of bungled investigations, evasive statements and dubious witnesses with incredible but poorly rehearsed testimonies," Estrada said, dismissing Corpus’ allegations as black propaganda against him.

"He has also broken the chain of command in the military establishment. He has resorted to the traditional tricks of black propagandists, namely, name-calling, deception, sweeping accusations, innuendoes and trial by publicity," he added.

"In this respect, I strongly support the call of our enlightened senators to put an end to the Senate investigations," he said. "It is now becoming clear that Col. Corpus has used this forum for his sinister motives."

Estrada dared Corpus to file charges in court and stop leaking information to the press. His lawyers had said they were preparing a libel suit against the military intelligence chief.

Meanwhile, the former OWWA administrator said he was the one who introduced Devnani to Estrada sometime in 1994 or 1995 and now regrets having done so.

"I regret introducing him to Erap (Estrada). I though he was a straight person," Gardiner said in Filipino.

Gardiner said Devnani asked to be introduced to Estrada when Gardiner was president and Devnani was director of the Rotary Club of Pasay North.

"I remember that Mr. Devnani waited for several hours for the chance to finally meet him. This totally belies the fictitious claim of Mr. Devnani that he is part of Mr. Estrada’s inner circle," Gardiner said.

During the Senate hearing Thursday, Devnani claimed Estrada, his son former San Juan mayor Jinggoy, crony Charlie "Atong" Ang, and Lacson were the "real leaders" of the Kuratong Baleleng gang.

Devnani also said that he was with Estrada and Ang when the former leader, who was then a presidential candidate, was videotaped gambling in a casino. Gardiner, however, said that one picture does not make a person close to another. Gardiner added that it is a common practice among businessmen to have pictures taken with very important persons to show that they have connections.

Instead, he linked Devnani to Central Luzon police chief Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, a nemesis of Lacson.

He said Devnani was very close to Berroya who was also a member of the Rotary Club of Pasay North when he was still chapter president. He refuted Berroya’s claim that he had not seen Devnani since January.

Gardiner recalled that Devnani attended a Rotary meeting on July 27 when Berroya was guest speaker.

Gardiner also refuted Devnani’s portrayal of the controversial Club 419 in San Juan as a den of "evil men."

Devnani had claimed that Estrada picked him as a dummy when it was renamed International Business Club (IBC) shortly after the killing of former basketball star Arnie Tuadles inside its premises in November 1996.

"The club, which I co-founded, was a non-stock, non-profit entity established for the exclusive use of its original members and their guests. I have never seen anything illegal done inside the club," Gardiner said.

He said the only gambling done in the club premises were the card game "pusoy dos" and bets on billiard games. He denied that Estrada owned the club and stressed that Estrada and Jinggoy were mere guests.

"I had never seen Senator Lacson inside the club. I don’t know Renato Parohinog of the Kuratong Baleleng," he said, referring to the alleged leader of the gang.

"I cannot understand why he said those things against Erap. Perhaps it is because of the political climate that there are many Judases and snakes," Gardiner said.

He described Devnani as a compulsive gambler who borrowed millions to maintain his vice.

"Such probably is his moral depravity arising from addiction to gambling that he would not hesitate to commingle with the Devil himself if only to save himself from the abyss of indebtedness that now hounds him," Gardiner said.

Devnani is expected to present his sworn statement in today’s resumption of the joint hearing of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, headed by Sen. Robert Barbers, and the committee on national defense and security, under Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.