Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado is set to testify again against the family of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
This time it won’t be before inquisitive legislators but before the justices of the Sandiganbayan.
State Prosecutors today have submitted a motion before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division that asked that Mercado be permitted to testify against the vice president’s wife, former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay.
“Wherefore, it is most respectfully prayed that the Honorable Court allow Mr. Ernesto Mercado to testify for the People on June 18, 2015,” said the prosecution in their motion.
Prosecutors pointed out that Mercado is “a known ally of the Binays of Makati having been the Vice Mayor during the time when the husband of the accused was mayor for several terms.”
Mrs. Binay is facing before the Fifth Division a graft case over the overpriced purchase of office furnishings when she was still mayor in 1999 and 2000 that was accomplished following a rigged public bidding that awarded the contract for the purchase to Office Gallery International which got paid with P72.065 million. The purchase was allegedly overpriced by P21.253 million.
Mrs. Binay’s lawyers have already opposed Mercado’s testimony on the ground that he was not listed among the prosecution witnesses in the pre-trial order submitted to the court.
MANILA BULLETIN
