MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has found businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles guilty in 4 counts of malversation and 4 counts of graft involving the P20.91-million Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) of a South Cotabato lawmaker.

While Napoles was found guilty, former South Cotabato Second District representative Arthur Pingoy, Jr. was acquitted by the anti-graft court in all of his cases — 4 graft, 4 malversation and a direct bribery — despite whistleblower Benhur Luy's testimony.

Luy testified that he kept a document called the Daily Disbursement Records that contained Pingoy’s name.

"It is not a convincing evidence of criminal liability of the persons whose names were indicated therein unless there is an equally sufficient evidence that will corroborate the entries is such private document,” the Sandiganbayan Special Second Division said in the decision.

• Napoles, lawmaker acquitted of plunder but convicted for other crimes

• Sandiganbayan refuses to admit Napoles’ motion for acquittal in plunder case

Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona penned the decision, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Arthur Malabaguio and Bernelito Fernandez.

Division Chairperson Oscar Herrera, Jr. and Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz gave separate dissenting and concurring opinions.

• Napoles acquitted in 16 graft cases, guilty in another set of PDAF cases

Napoles was sentenced to imprisonment of 6 to 10 years for each of the 4 graft cases.

Her co-accused Evelyn De Leon, Rhodora Mendoza, Maria Ninez Guanizo and Victor Cacal were also convicted of graft.

They were all ordered to pay the National Treasury a total fine of P20.91 million, the amount of PDAF disbursed from the government coffers.

De Leon, Mendoza, Guanizo and Cacal were also convicted for the malversation cases.

Aside from imprisonment ranging fro 10 to 18 years per case, they were all ordered to return to the government the total amount malversed or P20.91 million.

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