The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the forfeiture cases against former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.
The fourth division approved the motion to withdraw filed by the Ombudsman following the implementation of a plea bargaining agreement.
The Ombudsman said “substantially all” of the properties of the retired major general and his family sought to be forfeited in the ongoing cases have already been recovered under the plea bargaining agreement.
The anti-graft body added it does not have enough evidence to support the forfeiture of the remaining properties listed in the petitions.
“Hence, it is withdrawing these cases to prevent further waste of the Court’s time, effort, and resources,” the resolution read.
Garcia was found guilty of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering by the Sandiganbayan in July 2022.
He was sentenced to four to eight years of imprisonment.
Garcia pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering instead of plunder and money laundering.