MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has convicted businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan over the diversion of P50 million in government funds intended for farm input assistance projects that were never carried out.

In a 237-page decision promulgated Friday, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division found Napoles and Pacturan guilty of 10 counts of malversation through falsification of public documents in connection with the release of funds to 10 non-government organizations (NGOs) controlled by Napoles.

The ruling, penned by Sixth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane T. Fernandez, also found Napoles guilty on 10 counts of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Pacturan, however, was acquitted of the graft charges after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Napoles attended the promulgation through videoconferencing, while Pacturan was present in court.

The Sandiganbayan sentenced Napoles to up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of malversation and up to 15 years for each count of graft. Pacturan was sentenced to up to 19 years, one month, and 11 days in prison for each of the 10 counts of malversation.

The court also ordered Napoles and Pacturan to jointly reimburse P50 million to the National Treasury.

Former Philippine Social Development Foundation, Inc. (PSDFI) president and former Napoles staff member Evelyn de Leon was convicted on three counts each of malversation and graft. She was acquitted on the remaining seven counts after the court found insufficient evidence and was ordered to reimburse P15 million.

According to the court, Pacturan conspired with former DAR Finance and Management Service Director Teresita Panlilio, former Chief Accountant Rowena Agbayani, Napoles, De Leon, and several private individuals to facilitate the release of P50 million in DAR funds to 10 NGOs linked to Napoles for supposed farm input assistance projects.

The court found that Pacturan signed 10 memoranda of agreement with local government units and the NGOs despite lacking authority to do so and despite apparent irregularities in the documents.

It also ruled that Napoles directed the preparation of fabricated request letters, falsified the signatures of municipal mayors and notaries public on documents and memoranda of agreement, and used these to facilitate the release of the funds.

The case involved the alleged diversion of P50 million in DAR regular funds earmarked for farm input assistance projects in 10 local government units in Luzon, which prosecutors said were never implemented.

The charges against Simplicio Gumafelix and Eulogio Rodriguez were dismissed following their deaths, while Rowena Agbayani, Ronald John Lim Jr., and John Raymund de Asis remain at large.