THREE retired police officials and a civilian contractor were each sentenced to 10 years in jail after the Sandiganbayan?s Fifth Division found them guilty of graft in the ghost purchase of P10 million worth of clothing and equipment in 1992.

In declaring as guilty Superintendents Van D. Luspo and Arturo H. Montano and Chief Insp. Salvador C. Duran Sr.?all retired?and private defendant Margarita B. Tugaoen, the anti-graft court said the prosecution sufficiently demonstrated that the accused committed fraud.

It cited the prosecution?s presentation of credible witnesses to bolster the charges filed against the accused.

The accused were also ordered to reimburse the government the amount of P10 million equivalent to the value of alleged ghost purchases of ?combat, clothing and individual equipment.?

But the anti-graft court cleared retired Dir. Guillermo Domondon, former National Police director for comptrollership, due to lack of evidence.

The case against the late National Police Director General Cesar Nazareno was dismissed because of his death prior to the completion of trial.

?[We] feel that accused Nazareno and Domondon cannot in fairness be held liable under the indictment and that evident bad faith can only be attributed to accused Luspo, Duran, Montano and Tugaoen, the latter also being accorded unwarranted partiality or benefit,? said the court.

Case records showed that Luspo, Montano and Duran made possible the release of 100 checks for P100,000 each in favor of Di-Ben Trading, MT Enterprises, J-Mos Enterprises and Triple 888 Enterprises who were the supposed supplier of CCIE.

Graft investigators discovered evidence which showed that the four firms were all owned by Tugaoen. Macon Ramos Araneta