MANILA – Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to graft charges linked to an alleged ghost project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The arraignment, which also included cashier Christina Pineda, was held before the Sandiganbayan. Following their plea, the anti-graft court said it will proceed with pretrial before moving to the trial proper.

The complaint, filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on January 16, involves an alleged P92.8-billion project that the Ombudsman claims was non-existent.

Among the co-accused is former lawmaker Bong Revilla, who is currently detained at the Quezon City Jail after surrendering to authorities on the evening of January 19.

Hernandez and Mendoza, who had previously been under Senate custody, were turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation following the issuance of Sandiganbayan arrest warrants.