By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
AUTHORITIES yesterday pressed charges against a city hall investigator arrested for alleged extortion. But the complaint was dismissed later in the afternoon after the complainant backed down.
Charges of extortion and usurpation of authority were filed against 46-year old John Laro at the City Prosecutor’s Office.
Police said Laro, a special investigator under the City Legal Office, was arrested for allegedly demanding money from the operator of a fair at Piaping Puti, Macabalan. The suspect is from nearby Barra, also in Macabalan.
Chief Insp. Ernesto Daing, chief of the Macabalan police, said Laro was entrapped in Macabalan at around 7 pm Monday.
Daing said the entrapment was carried out at a fairground after Nellits Carnival and Amusement Center operator Rosalie Castillo, 41, of Celrai, Macabalan, complained.
Castillo later went to the prosecutor’s office to take back her complaint, resulting in the dismissal of the complaint.
Daing said police seized from Laro P5 thousand in cash. The suspect allegedly received P5 thousand from Castillo earlier in exchange for the promise of the approval of a business permit application.
“Kining suspect nakakuha nag unang P5 thousand gikan ni Mrs. Castillo ug sa iyang ikaduhang pagpangayo og another P5 thousand, mieklamo na dinhi sa police station,” said Daing.
He said Laro allegedly introduced himself to Castillo as someone from the Office of Building Official of city hall. The next, he said, Laro allegedly claimed to be a member of the Regulatory and Complaints Board for Moviehouses and Amusement Places.
Police said they were able to confirm that Laro is a special investigator under the City Legal Office yesterday.
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