Napoles wants Luy’s bank accounts opened

MANILA, Philippines - Suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is asking the Sandiganbayan to compel the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) to bare all the bank accounts and financial transaction records of whistle-blower Benhur Luy.

In a motion filed before the anti-graft court’s fifth division, Napoles’ lawyers pushed for the opening of Luy’s bank documents along with fellow whistle-blowers Gertrudes Luy, Merlina Suñas and Marina Sula.

Facing plunder and graft charges, Napoles is accusing Benhur and his group as the ones who pocketed money from the pork barrel fund of lawmakers.

“With the denial of Benhur Luy’s motion for reconsideration, it is humbly submitted that UCPB has no reason to defer compliance of the honorable court’s subpoena for the bank accounts, bank history, records and transactions,” Napoles’ lawyers said.

She also sought subpoenas on several other accounts of Gertrudes, Suñas and Sula with the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Metrobank, Banco de Oro-Unibank, Landbank of the Philippines, and the Philippine Savings Bank.

Napoles argued that there is no more valid ground for UCPB to withhold the bank records because Gertrudes, Suñas and Sula did not even assail the ruling of the court that affirmed the subpoenas issued on the bank to produce the documents.

She noted that only Benhur, the prosecution’s main witnesses against her, filed a motion for reconsideration that has been denied for lack of merit.