Two businessmen whose company is being investigated by the Senate for bagging billions of pesos in contracts to supply government with face shields and other COVID-19 supplies are now detained in a regular jail cell for refusal to cooperate in the ongoing inquiry, officials said.
Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executives Linconn Ong and Mohit Dargani were transferred on Monday afternoon to the Pasay City Jail after days of detention at the Senate premises.
They were previously cited in contempt by the Senate blue ribbon committee for failing to produce company documents subpoenaed by the panel. The Senate is investigating Pharmally after it bagged over P8 billion in contracts to provide medical supplies last year despite having only P625,000 in paid-up capital.
"The Senate in preserving and protecting the institution has decided to transfer them to the Pasay City jail," said Sen. Richard Gordon, who leads the investigation on the alleged anomalous pandemic supply deals.
"Their continuing presence in the Senate premises also had put a strain on an overstretched Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, whose primary function is to protect the Senate building, secure the people coming in and out, especially the employees," he added.
The Senate panel last Friday ordered Ong and Dargani's transfer to the Pasay City Jail as they couldn't submit the documents needed to complete the investigation, but Dargani asked to be given time to provide the location of the subpoenaed items.
The Senate security arranged a trip to retrieve the documents, but it didn't materialize as Dargani kept making excuses about their whereabouts.
"Mr. Dargani’s and Mr. Linconn’s continuous lying, continuous refusal to answer questions truthfully and forthrightly, and the constant 'palusot' have crossed the line," Gordon said.
"The Senate and public interest demand the truth of the overpricing of supplies, and the favoritism granted [to Pharmally]. If we do not go into the bottom of this scandal, we will not be able to hold accountable those responsible," he added.
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