OMB chief Ronnie Ricketts suspended

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended Optical Media Board Chairman Ronnie Ricketts and four others for the neglect of duty.

The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of criminal charges against them for graft and corruption.

An ‘old’ case

The suspension of Ricketts and other OMB employees is in connection with the post-raid operations conducted against Sky High Marketing Corporation in Quiapo on May 27, 2010.

Those suspended include:

-OMB Chairman Ronald Ricketts
-Executive Director Cyrus Paul Valenzuela
-Head of Enforcement Manuel Mangubat
-Investigation Agent I Joseph Arnaldo
-Computer Operator II Glenn Perez

An investigation shows the OMB team seized over 100 boxes of pirated DVDs and also arrested three Chinese nationals.

The seized items were then brought to the OMB office but were pulled out in the same evening without any approved gate pass by a truck owned by the raided establishment.

Compromised evidence

The Ombudsman said the unjustified release of the confiscated items compromised the evidence.

“The unjustified release of the confiscated items compromised the pieces of evidence that could substantiate a case or cases—thereby giving unwarranted benefit to Sky High Marketing Corporation,” the Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman said the OMB chief should have ordered the filing of cases against the violators.

In statement issued through his lawyer, Atty. Ivy Fajardo, Ricketts said he was preparing his appeal to ask for the reversal of the Ombudsman’s order.