Consolidated trial of Co’s two cases approved

The Sandiganbayan has granted the motion of the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct a single trial of the graft and malversation through falsification cases against fugitive former congressman Zaldy Co and his 15 co-accused in the anomalous P289.5-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a resolution dated Nov. 27 but released only yesterday, the anti-graft court's Sixth Division granted the motion of the ombudsman's prosecution panel to consolidate for a joint trial the accused's case of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act pending with the Fifth Division and their non-bailable case of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code pending before the Sixth Division.

The court said it found merit in the prosecution's contention that the two cases can be tried jointly without violating the accused's right to due process, as the cases "emanated from the same set of facts and arose from the same series of transactions, involve the same parties and will utilize substantially the same witnesses and documentary evidence during trial."