KINATIGAN ng Korte Suprema Court of Appeals (CA) sa pagbasura ng kasong smuggling na isinampa ng Department of Justice (DOJ) at Bureau of Customs (BOC) laban sa isang kilalang kaalayado at kaibigan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Sa 36-pahinang desisyon, tuluyan nang nakalusot ang negosyanteng si Dennis Uy kaugnay ng P5.9 bilyong smuggling case laban sa kay Uy na tumatayong chief executive officer ng Phoenix Petroleum Philippines at isang customs broker na nakilala sa pangalang Jorlan Cabanes na kapwa isinangkot sa iligal na pagpupuslit ng langis sa bansa.
Ayon sa Korte Suprema, walang ebidensyang direktang nagsasangkot kina Uy at Cabanes sa smuggling ng langis mula sa mga bansang Singapore, Taiwan at Thailand sa Davao at Batangas mula taong 2010 hanggang 2011. “There was no proof that he willfully and deliberately acted to defraud the government to complete the importation,” saad ng kalatas ng Korte Suprema.
“Thus, absent proof that respondent Uy himself committed the acts, he cannot be charged for fraudulent practices. On this basis alone, the criminal charges against respondent Uy must fail,” dagdag pa nito.
“In sum, the lower courts’ finding of no probable cause is supported by relevant laws and evidence on record. Mindful of these considerations, the Court of Appeals’ affirmation of the dismissal of the charges is not tainted with grave abuse of discretion.”
