QC court junks falsification raps vs. Aussie, Filipino mining execs

MANILA: A Quezon City court has dismissed falsification charges against an Australian mining officer, his Filipino counterpart, and two others for 'failure of the prosecution to present inculpatory evidence.' In a 31-page decision dated Sept. 20, QC Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 226 Presiding Judge Manuel Sta. Cruz dismissed the charge of falsification of public documents against Australian national Jeffery McGlinn, Joseph Mahusay, Ramon Austria, and lawyer Rosalinda Montenegro. The charges involve six information involving alleged irregularities in the assignment of shares in Agusan-based gold mining firm Medusa Exploration and Development Corp., now Philsaga Management and Holdings, Inc. (PMHI), and its affiliate companies. Records of the case showed that private complainant, lawyer Raul Villanueva, executed a Special Power of Attorney in favor of accused McGlinn, among others, to either encumber, assign, sell, or transfer his 150,000 shares of Medusa Exploration and Development Corp. (now PMHI). It was learned that on May 24, 2022, based on the Special Power of Attorney given to him by Villanueva, McGlinn entered into three Deeds of Assignment in favor of Mahusay. The prosecution accused the Australian mining official, Mahusay, and Austria of making it appear that the Deeds of Assignment were executed on or before the Revocation of Special Power of Attorney and Revocation of Declaration of Trust that Villanueva issued on July 21, 2022. However, the court noted that McGlinn was still acting within his authority pursuant to the Special Power of Attorney issued to him on April 8, 2022, when he entered into the Deeds of Assignments of Shares with Mahusay and Austria on May 24, 2022. 'Given the said authority of McGlinn, accused Mahusay and Austria cannot be considered to have falsified subject documents, Thus, the six documents as stated in the present of six information are valid and have binding effects,' the court said. 'Consequently, the accused… are hereby acquitted for failure of the prosecution t o prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.' Source: Philippines News Agency