Witness in Estrada case flee in terror

Witness in Estrada case flee in terror
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

MANILA, JAN 15: At least three witnesses who had testified against impeached Philippines President Joseph Estrada have fled abroad after facing death threats, prosecutors at the landmark corruption trial said today.

Former finance secretary Edgardo Espiritu and senior bank executives Clarissa Ocampo and Manuel Curato left the country separately after taking the witness stand earlier this month, prosecutor Hernando Perez said.

Espiritu left for the United States last weekend ``because he has been receiving threats," while the other two left for unspecified destinations abroad "for their own safety,'' Perez said.

The prosecutor said he and Espiritu have been receiving death threats ever since he presented the key witness at the trial last week. He did not say who made the threats.

Prosecutor Joker Arroyo alleged last week that Estrada aides have been approaching potential witnesses and that one of them had since turned "hostile". Presidential spokesmen have denied that Estrada was intimidating witnesses.

Espiritu, the only member of the president's official inner circle to have testified against him, alleged last week that Estrada told him he was reaping a fortune trading in the stock of a gaming firm while it was under investigation for alleged insider trading.

The former cabinet man also charged that Estrada partied with smugglers at the presidential palace and allowed them to wreak havoc on government finances by shielding them from the police.

In the meanwhile, rumours has it that the impeached Philippine leader was preparing to leave the country and live in "comfortable retirement" abroad with his mistresses. This was testified by the enemies of Joseph Estrada.

``The exodus of his mistresses and friends is a sign that Estrada is now preparing for an exit scenario,'' said Joey Rufino, executive director of the opposition Lakas-NUCD party.

Two of Estrada's mistresses have already left the country apparently to avoid testifying in the former movie action star's unprecedented corruption trial in the senate which could lead to his ouster.

Ex-movie starlet Laarni Enriquez, by whom Estrada has three young children, evaded servers of a Senate subpoena last week and abruptly left for the United States via Hong Kong.

Another mistress, Joy Melendrez, also left for abroad along with her young son by Estrada on Saturday.

Rufino said Enriquez left the Philippines "not just to evade testifying" but also allegedly to "make sure that preparations for Estrada's own exile are completed."

Rufino did not say the basis for his statement and Estrada's spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

``He should not be allowed to go in exile and join his women in comfortable retirement abroad,'' Rufino stressed, adding that the president should account for his alleged crimes.

Estrada stands accused of bribery, graft and corruption,betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the consitution.