PROSECUTOR DEAD BY SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT

MANILA, Philippines - Ariadne Maeve Fonseca, the lead prosecutor of the Castellano v. People case, was found dead in her apartment after taking her own life.  A smudged suicide note was left in her bedside which will further be investigated. Colleagues expressed their speculations that foul play was involved but police denied all allegations.

October 2015

A whistleblower submitted a petition in Sandiganbayan to look further on Ciudad Real mayor's spending and bank statements. Mayor Priam Oliver Castellano was accused of using emergency budget allocation for personal use. The complainant is a government employee.

The court approved the petition, prosecution asked for evidence indicating the graft committed.

December 2015

First trial of Castellano v. People of the Philippines was held in the Division Court, presided by Judge George Ramos. The prosecutor was Atty. Maeve Fonseca. The court decided to file graft case against Castellano and next trial took place after a month.

January 2016

Second trial of Castellano v. People was held in Sandiganbayan, presided by Judge George Ramos. Prosecutor Fonseca presented three whistleblowers, two are government employees and one is an accountant. The jury decided that there is no direct evidence that can indict the accused and shortly dismissed the charges.

March 2016

Atty. Fonseca filed for an appeal to Castellano v. People graft case as additional evidence was found by the prosecution.

Sandiganbayan rejects Fonseca's appeal regarding the case. The jury suggested that she should file another case against Castellano. After a week, Fonseca sent a petition to review the Castellano v. People graft case.

June 2016

A statement given by Fonseca family confirmed the death of Maeve Fonseca. It was ruled as suicide as proved by investigation. The smudged suicide note left is still under observation.

Primo Castellano has not yet released any statement regarding the sudden death of Maeve Fonseca.

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Key Terms

graft — the acquisition of gain (such as money) in dishonest or questionable ways

petition — a formal written request made to an authority or organized body (such as a court)

prosecution — the institution and continuance of a criminal suit involving the process of pursuing formal charges against an offender to final judgment

whistleblower — an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or by other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency

© Merriam-Webster