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Manila: The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Friday issued a warrant of arrest against an ally of President Gloria Arroyo over a $2-million (Dh7.34 million) extortion charge, a news report has said.
The charge against former justice secretary Hernando Perez was filed by former Manila Representative Mark Jimenez, GMA News online said, quoting an unidentified court official.
The Sandiganbayan's Sheriff Office declined to confirm the issuance of the arrest warrant on Perez but confirmed that it has in its possession a hold-departure order against the former justice secretary, said the report.
The Ombudsman on April 18 filed four criminal charges against Perez, his wife, his brother-in-law, and a business associate over Jimenez's complaint that the ex-justice secretary and an accomplice extorted about $2 million from him over his execution of damning affidavits against former President Joseph Estrada.
Harm threat
Jimenez, a former presidential adviser of Estrada, said Perez threatened to harm him and his family if he did not issue affidavits to pin down the former president over plunder charges in 2001.
Perez earlier asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the Ombudsman from bringing in charges against him.
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