By LITO RULONA Correspondent MAYOR Oscar Moreno’s accuser in the graft case stemming from the 2013 city hall-Ajinomoto tax settlement yesterday said he was expecting an arrest warrant against the local chief executive anytime soon. Former Taglimao barangay chairman William Guialani said this after the Office of the Ombudsman announced on its website on Wednesday that it has found probable cause to indict Mayor Moreno and city treasurer Glenn Bañez for violation of Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of Republic Act  3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Moreno and Bañez, who holds the position of public services officer 2, are set to face trial before the Sandiganbayan after they were found to have unlawfully entered into an agreement with Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. involving the 2013 settlement of the company’s tax liabilities. Guialani, who filed the graft case against Moreno and Bañez, said he was happy with Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales’s decision. “Kung dili siya (Moreno) ma-suspenso. Warrant of arrest ang iyang atubangon karon,” Guialani told the Gold Star Daily. A 90-day suspension order hangs over the heads of Moreno, city budget officer Percy Salazar and city accountant Beda Joy Elot in connection with another graft case filed by Puntod barangay chairman Marvin Beja. A 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) by the Court of Appeals (CA) against the implementation of the ombudsman’s suspension order ceased to have an effect on Tuesday. At presstime, Moreno has yet to be suspended. Guialani said he threw a “stone that hit three birds,” and Moreno is now facing the prospects of dismissal and disqualification from holding government office. “He is criminally liable. Under the law, after the Sandiganbayan receives the information from the Ombudsman, a warrant of arrest against Moreno and Bañez would be issued,” he said. “Nagka-kusog ang kaso against nila ni Moreno. Daug na kini daan considering that the evidence presented is strong and valid,” Guialani said. In 2013, the city treasurer issued a notice of assessment to Ajinomoto covering its 2006 to 2012 tax deficiency of P2.9 million. The following year, city hall entered into a settlement agreement with waiver, release and quitclaim accepting the company’s offer of P300,000 as full settlement of its local business tax deficiency. The agreement was entered into in exchange for Ajinomoto’s withdrawal of the civil case it filed before the Regional Trial Court of Misamis Oriental. Guialani said the agreement was not given the green light by the city council. Moreno has repeatedly denied wrongdoing on his part, saying he was unaware of the settlement but it was Bañez prerogative he being the city treasurer. Bañez, for his part, claimed that the agreement was entered into since “there was no guarantee” that city hall would win the case in the RTC and that “the case might drag all the way to the Supreme Court.” Morales gave no credence to the explanations, and stated that “Moreno and Bañez gave Ajinomoto unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference when they entered into the agreement with (Ajinomoto) without the required authorization from the city council.” Carpio said the anti-graft law prohibits public officials from causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.  Meantime, Section 3(g) punishes the act of a public officer entering, on behalf of the government, into any contract or transaction manifestly or grossly disadvantageous to the same.