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Ex-Ambassador ordered charged for fund misuse
21 June 2011, source: Ombudsman Website
visit: https://goo.gl/zf9rLb

Acting Ombudsman Orlando C. Casimiro ordered the filing of criminal charges against former Ambassador to Nigeria Masaranga Umpa for misusing Assistance to National (ATN) Standby Funds in the total amount of US$95,856 for the repatriation of abducted Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in 2007.
         In a 24-page resolution, the anti-graft office found probable cause to indict Umpa before the Sandiganbayan for four counts of malversation of public funds (Article 217, Revised Penal Code).
         Records revealed that Umpa was appointed as Philippine Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Nigeria by then President Joseph Estrada and was retained in a hold-over capacity by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
          The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) alleged that of the amount US$174,000 sent on February 7, 2007 for the safe release  and repatriation of 24 Filipino seamen and crewmembers of Baco Liner II and one OFW, a total of US$95,856.08 were paid to non-existing or highly irregular transactions as evidenced by fabricated documents.
          According to the complaint, one transaction was made to appear as being paid to Wellington Hotel Limited in Warri Delta State, Nigeria covering the cost of 6 hotel rooms and meals of 11 police escorts, but the transaction was supported by fabricated documents.
          The Filipino seamen were turned-over by the Nigerian authorities to former Amb. Umpa and then DFA Secretary Esteban Cornejos, Jr in the afternoon of February 13, 2007 but the hotel bills indicated breakfast and lunch charges amounting to US$1,565 which could have not been incurred because the seamen were turned-over in the afternoon.
          Upon verification, the Nigerian hotel accountant Adeleke Osinuga cited that the documents presented to them for certification were not issued by them and therefore, forged.
          Documents gathered further show that hotel bills were not stamped “paid” and charges were billed on the alleged date of departure; cash vouchers were not signed by the regular administrative officer; and the post exceeded its authority to engage the services of 11 escorts when only six escorts were allowed.
          It was also learned that the embassy did not rent any room at Hotel Presidential (HP) on February 18-28, 2007 for the accommodation of the police escorts; the six police escorts stayed at a hotel other than HP; and that no escorts were left behind at Port Harcourt. But these expenses amounting to US$20,944 were presented using bogus documents.
          The complaint also claimed that the supposed “package deal” with HP for the room accommodation of the police escorts on March 1-12, 2007 never took place; all documents have been fabricated; the hotel never received any payment from the Philippine Embassy since the hotel never billeted such group, and that there were no guests registered as representatives of the embassy. Umpa also presented documents to show that a helicopter and van were chartered to ferry the OFWs to pad his claims for use of the ATN funds. No such transportation was used.
          The resolution stated that, “In the instant case, it is very clear that the respondent (Umpa) had been very negligent in his duty of counter-checking the supporting documents for the cash advances for several transactions which he, himself, was involved in.”
          “He (Umpa) committed the acts of malversation through abandonment or negligence, by approving ‘for payment’ for the non-existing transactions…” the ruling averred.

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