BLUE-RIBBON probers on Tuesday cited in contempt, and ordered the detention in the Senate premises, of two officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation for refusing to provide senators subpoenaed documents in their ongoing inquiry.
Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon inquiry, asked Committee Secretary Atty. Rudy Quimbo to order the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to take custody of Pharmally officials Mohit and Twinkle Dargani after citing them in contempt.
Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon said the two key witnesses at an ongoing inquiry were “obviously refusing to answer” and will remain detention at the Senate “until they comply” and “produce documents” required by Senate probers.
Mohit, corporate secretary and treasurer of Pharmally, earlier told Drilon he was advised by their lawyer not to provide the documents, which senators had earlier made subject of a subpoena duces tecum.
Twinkle sits as company president.
The senators did not hide their frustration over the disrupted paper trail, especially after Pharmally external auditor Iluminada Serbial, who gave the company an unqualified opinion, admitted that Pharmally accountant Jeff Mariano did not provide her any documents. She merely signed the financial report of the controversial start-up that bagged P8.7 billion in government contracts for pandemic supplies.
“Nobody wants to tell the truth,” Senator Francis Pangilinan
observed.
At one point, Dargani also denied reports reaching Senate probers that he tried selling a friend’s 2019 Ferrari sports car.
Drilon moved to cite Mohit and Twinkle in contempt after putting on record that both witnesses were not cooperating.