Veteran action star and one of the country’s most popular actor during his prime was suspended by the Sandiganbayan as he was put under preventive suspension as he faces graft trial over the alleged pull-out of evidence against counterfeiters in 2010. Ronnie Ricketts is the chairman of the powerful agency that foresees the country’s media industry, the Optical Media Board.
The preventive suspension against Ronnie Ricketts was based on a resolution promulgated last Wednesday, the anti-graft court Fourth Division said it granted the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s motion to “suspend pendente lite” the former actor and three of his co-accused as they face graft trial.
The anti-graft court, Sandiganbayan said it is only “mandatory” under the law to issue a suspension order “upon proper determination of the validity of the (graft) information).
The Sandiganbayan also noted that by suspending the officials in the graft case, it does not seek to penalize the accused. It added that it is not for the court to ascertain the prosecution’s claim that the accused may use his position to frustrate his prosecution by intimidating witnesses.
The court then directed the Office of the President, which oversees the OMB, to implement the 90-day preventive suspension order against the veteran actor and OMB chairman Ronnie Ricketts.
