Businessman Cedric Lee is now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation hours after a Taguig court found him, Deniece Cornejo, and two others guilty of serious illegal detention.
According to Olan Bola’s report on Super Radyo dzBB, Lee turned himself in voluntarily to the authorities.
A Taguig court on Thursday found businessman Lee, Cornejo, Ferdinand Guerrero, and Simeon Razguilty of illegally detaining TV host and actor Vhong Navarro in 2014.
In a 94-page decision, the Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC)-Branch 153 found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt of serious illegal detention for ransom under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.
The court sentenced them to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years imprisonment.
“It is all too apparent that the accused planned and premeditated to restrain Vhong Navarro to extort money from him. Proof of their agreement is inferred from their conduct before, during, and after the commission of the crime,” the court said.
It added that their conduct disclosed “a common understanding between them” on the commission of the crime.
The court also canceled the bail bond of the accused. —NB, GMA Integrated News
