(UPDATED) -- The police arrested the former mayor of Aloguinsan town, Cebu at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 17, for his alleged involvement in an anomalous purchase of food supplies in 2010.
Augustus Caesar Lim Moreno, 55, was caught by a team led by Inspector Sigmund Freud Cruz, the town police chief, in his residence in Barangay Poblacion, Aloguinsan.
Police served the warrant of arrest for violations of Section 3 (e) and (h) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The warrant was issued by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division chairperson.
A total bail of P60,000 was set for Moreno's temporary liberty.
Cruz, in a phone interview, said they received the warrant of arrest on Wednesday morning, January 17. Moreno did not resist arrest and he posted bail in Toledo City Regional Trial Court after his arrest.
Lawyer Inocencio de la Cerna Jr., Moreno's spokesperson, said the former mayor is facing trial before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly taking part in the irregular 28 purchases of food supplies from AVG Bakeshop totaling to P282,725.
Moreno's wife Cynthia was registered as the sole proprietor of the bakeshop.
Cynthia, also Aloguinsan's former mayor, and five other officials were charged by the Ombudsman-Visayas's Fiel Investigation Office, which found out that the transactions caused undue injury to the government and giving unwarranted benefits to Cynthia's bakery.
De la Cerna said the AVG Bakeshop was sold to certain Lyn Tojeno in 2007, but Tojeno failed to process the documents that would transfer the ownership to her name.
"I have talked to former mayor Moreno. He said he will face trial," said de la Cerna.
