Sandiganbayan (File photo)
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has upheld a jail sentence of up to 14 years on the former cashier of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) - Valenzuela City District Office for malversation involving PHP3.07 million in collections more than a decade ago.
The anti-graft court's Third Division affirmed the decision of the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court Branch 75 and dismissed the appeal filed by Marites Lopez.
"The court finds that the prosecution was able to establish all the elements of the crime of malversation of public funds, through the documentary and testimonial evidence on record. The appellant's conviction for the said crime must therefore be sustained," read the 19-page resolution dated Feb. 27 and published online Tuesday.
As acting cashier from December 2008 to January 2011, Lopez’s duties included receiving payments for license fees and depositing the collections to the Land Bank of the Philippines daily.
LTO audit analyst, Lorna De Leon, discovered that Lopez incurred a shortage of PHP3,077,392.03 from December 2008 to December 2010.
Lopez did not comply with demand letters to produce the missing amount. (PNA)
