THE Department of Justice has found sufficient evidence to indict alleged drug trafficker Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera and six NBI security escorts before the Manila City Regional Trial Court for violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
The DOJ said criminal information will be slapped against Dera, NBI Security Officer II Randy Godoy, and NBI job order personnel Arnel Ganzon, Diana Rose Novelozo, Lee Eric Loreto, King Jeroh Martin, and Pepe Piedad Jr.
Godoy, as a public officer, will be charged for violation of Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes infidelity in the custody of prisoners, while Dera and the others, as private individuals, will be charged for violation of Article 156 of the RPC, which imposes sanctions for the unauthorizeed delivery of prisoners from jail.
“After evaluation of the evidence, the assigned prosecutor found sufficient evidence to hold the respondents for trial. There is probable cause in finding that Dera induced Godoy, Ganzon, Novelozo, Loreto, Martin and Piedad to assist him escape from prison and that Godoy, Ganzon, Novelozo, Loreto, Martin and Piedad facilitated the escape of Dera from his detention facility,” a briefer released by the DOJ said.
The briefer cited the July 6 resolution of state prosecutors.
Dera and the security personnel were nabbed on June 21 while returning from an unauthorized trip in Makati City. They left the NBI facility using a marked vehicle under what the DOJ said was “the pretense of a medical check-up” and without a court order.
“Thereafter, it was discovered that they met with Dera’s female friend and went to share a meal in a restaurant in Makati City,” the DOJ briefer said, adding that when the group was apprehended, the arresting agents seized P100,000 from Dera; P10,000 from Godoy, and P11,000 from Veloso.
The money, it also said, “appeared to be the respondent’s payment for escorting out Dera from the detention facility.”
During a Senate hearing last week, Dera admitted that he was able to leave the NBI detention facility multiple times and that only one of those trips was allowed by the court for him to undergo a medical check up.
Dera travelled to as far as Tagaytay in Cavite, Subic in Olongapo and Calatagan in Batangas.
Aside from being able to go in and out of the NBI detention, the DOJ has said that Dera also enjoyed special food and sleeping accommodations.
Dera has been detained at the NBI since 2019 for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
He is accused of allegedly running the illegal drugs trade inside the New Bilibid Prison in supposed conspiracy with detained former senator Leila de Lima when the latter was still the DOJ chief.
