Manila: A former ambassador has been convicted to serve 17 years in prison for the misuse of funds, including those meant for repatriation of Filipinos in an area of conflict abroad.
Masaranga Umpa, former Philippines Ambassador to Nigeria, was convicted by the anti-graft Sandiganbayan court for three counts of malversation of public funds.
He was also handed the penalty of perpetual special disqualification to hold public office and was ordered to indemnify the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) the amount of US$80,478 (Dh295,590).
In convicting Umpa, 77, the tribunal gave weight to findings of an internal audit by the DFA that the envoy had misused Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) standby funds in 2007 when he was ambassador to Nigeria.
“Ombudsman prosecutors were able to prove that in February 2007, the Philippine Embassy to Nigeria received $95,856 to cover expenses needed for the negotiations and repatriation of 25 Filipino seafarers who were kidnapped in Port Harcourt and Warri Delta State, Nigeria,” the Sandiganbayan said.
In 2008, the DFA created an Internal Audit Service (IAS) team to conduct special audit on certain transactions including ATN Stand-by Funds.
Prosecutors presented the results of the independent verification made by the IAS Team which showed that liquidation documents were fabricated and that several transactions or expenses, as reported by Umpa, were never availed.
According to the Sandiganbayan, Umpa, as Head of a Post and head of a team negotiating for the repatriation of the Filipino seafarers, had access to the funds.
“When accused received and had custody of the said ATN funds, he was not only accountable for said fund but was also immediately and primarily responsible, he cannot legally pass on or transfer his accountability and primary responsibility for said ATN Funds to his AO (Administrative Officer) and FO (Finance Officer), because as head of government agency who received and entrusted with government fund, he was still accountable.”
The Sandiganbayan recognised Umpa’s “extensive background in accounting and auditing, having been an Auditor in the COA (Commission on Audit) for 12 years.
“These irregularities in the disbursement of the ATN Funds would not have missed his attention, and he could have easily detected them,” the anti-graft court said.
Umpa had served as Ambassador to Nigeria from 1996 to 2008 and was a former lawmaker Lanao Del Norte.