Saturday, January 4, 2014

Ex-Napoles family house help freed

The former family house help of pork barrel scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles is freed after the Makati City Regional Trial Court’s (RTC) ruling which dismissed the qualified theft case against her became final.

Napoles is the alleged “brains” behind the P10-billion pork barrel and the P900-million Malampaya Fund scams.

She is now incarcerated at the Fort Sto. Domingo, in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

Public Attorney’s Office Chief Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta on Thursday said that complainants Jaime Napoles, Janet’s husband and Reynald Lim, her brother no longer filed an appeal to question the October 2013’s court ruling dismissing the case against Dominga Cadelina.

“We have already released her from our custody now that the Makati court’s decision became final,” Acosta said.

Napoles’ husband and her brother, Reynald Lim accused Cadelina of stealing US$ 13,400 worth of luxury bags, women’s underwear and clothes on Jan. 29, 2013.

However, Makati City RTC Branch 145 Presiding Judge Carlito Calpatura, in his ruling said that the prosecution failed to prove “the element of taking and the element of lack of consent by the owner of the things stolen.”

The RTC added that accuser’s story was “simply too naive to be given full faith under the mantle of proof beyond reasonable doubt” and was “contrary to human experience.”

Cadelina worked as househelp for the Napoles family for 10 years. PNA

http://manilatimes.net/ex-napoles-family-house-help-freed/64528/

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