THE Commission on Audit has affirmed the liability of six Meycauayan City officials and a private person for the disallowance on overpayment for parcels of land purchased by the city government in 2008 to the tune of P69.25 million.
Auditors said the city paid P1,600 per square meter for two lots with a total area of 43,282 square meters, but a special audit team dispatched by the Fraud Audit Office determined that the correct valuation should have been only P1,255.26 per sqm or P54.33 million for the whole property.
The lot was identified as the site for a material recovery facility (MRF) project in Pajo, Meycauyan City in Bulacan.
By the audit team’s computations, the excess payment amounted to P14,921,036.68 using the International Valuation Standard, 2007, 8th Edition.
Held liable in the notice of disallowance issued on December 23, 2015 were City Appraisal Committee members Carlos Abacan, Jose Yazon Jr., Mario Aguirre, Evelina Priolo, Annabelle Urbano, and Carmelita Mariano and lot owner Manolito Ipapo.
Other than the requirement to refund the disallowed amount, persons held liable will also face a possible criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“The Prosecution and Litigation Office, Legal Service Sector… is directed to forward the case to the Office of the Ombudsman for investigation and filing of appropriate charges, if warranted against the persons held liable for the transaction,” the COA Commission Proper said.
While the city officials filed an appeal before the Fraud Audit Office on August 10, 2016, they were able to pay the docket fees only on December 21, 2016 or 321 days from their receipt of the notice of disallowance — way past the reglementary period of only 180 days for filing an appeal.
