A businessman joined the deposed Philippines president Mr Joseph Estrada in the dock today, charged with the crime of plunder which could send the friends to the gallows.
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Mr Joseph Estrada
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The court approved a petition by government lawyers that businessman Mr Jaime Dichaves be added to the list of eight defendants in the Estrada case, court officials said.
The charge sheet accuses Mr Dichaves of inducing Mr Estrada to order government-run pension funds to buy the stocks of a property company, for which the two men allegedly earned 189.7 million pesos ($3.6 million) in commissions.
They also allegedly collected 3.2 billion pesos in illegal "commissions, gifts, shares, percentages, kickbacks" and other benefits from other transactions.
The state alleges the money is part of about $80 million Mr Estrada plundered in his 30 months in office.
He was indicted and arrested in April, three months after a bloodless popular revolt forced him from office. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors began presenting evidence on October 1st, but further hearings have been cancelled as both sides await a Supreme Court ruling on an Estrada petition to have the plunder law declared unconstitutional.
AFP