Sandigan rejects ex-Tawi-Tawi gov’s plea

The Sandiganbayan’s  first division has dismissed with finality the motion filed by former Tawi-Tawi governor Rashidin Matba seeking the dismissal of the graft case filed against him in 2004.

With the first division’s move, Matba will soon stand trial on charges of illegal dismissal and undue injury filed against him by former provincial treasurer Pendatun Laja.

Also named defendant in the case was Abdulnasser Hadjiula, who was appointed in Laja’s place.

Matba dismissed Laja based on findings of an in-house investigation that the latter allegedly misappropriated Government Service Insurance System contributions and loan amortizations of the provincial employees.

Matba said Laja was eventually found guilty of administrative offenses by the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao and dismissed from the service.

But the Sandiganbayan said Matba merely rehashed his previous arguments which it had overruled.