PNB v. Tria

PNB v. Tria  TOPIC: CRIMINAL LAW; Qualifed Qualifed Thet (Art. 3! i" relati#" t# Arti$le 3!%&3!' RPC) *a$t+ a$t+:: PNB&MW PNB&MW,, ,, Bra"$ Bra"$h h fled fled a $#- $#-la lai" i"tt #r #r /ual /ualif ifed ed the thett a0ai"+t Tria Tria it+ 1a"2 -a"a0er 1e#re 1e# re the Pr#+e$ut#r+ O4$e. PNB $#"te"ded that Tria $#""ived 5ith a f$titi#u+ a6ee "a-ed Att6. Re6e+ i" e"$a+hi"0 a -a"a0er+ $he$2 i++ued 16 Tria Tria hi-+el. PNB "arrated that Tria a+ 1a"2 -a"a0er i"+tru$ted hi+ e-l#6ee+ t# r#$e++ a"d evaluate a re/ue+t letter r#- Att6. Re6e+ i"+tru$ti"0 the dedu$ti#" # 7 Milli#" Pe+#+ r#- the MW,, a$$#u"t a"d it+ 5ithdra5al 5ith#ut $#"+e"t r#- the a$$#u"t h#lder a"d PNB.  Tria  Tria al+# a$$#-a"ied Att6. Att6. Re6e+ i" PNB&QC 5here +aid -a"a0er+ $he$2 5a+ e"$a+hed de+ite the availa1ilit6 # u"d i" PNB&MW,, a"d +u$$e++ull6 e"$a+hed the $he$2. I" hi+ dee"+e Tria averred that the ele-e"t+ # /ualifed thet there are la$2i"0 i" thi+ $a+e 1e$au+e there 5a+ "# ta2i"0 #  er+#"al r#ert6 there 5a+ "# i"te"t t# 0ai" #" hi+ art the er+ er+#"al #"al r#er #ert6 t6 d#e+ d#e+ "#t "#t 1el#" el#"0 0 t# PNB PNB eve" eve" i it i+ the the de#+it#r6 1a"2 there 5a+ "# 0rave a1u+e # di+$reti#" #" hi+ art a"d hi+ alle0ed ide"tif$ati#" # a6ee Att6. Re6e+ i+ "#t the #erative a$t that tri00ered the a6-e"t # the -a"a0er+ $he$2. I"+tead Tria Tria ut the 1la-e #" PNB&QC PNB& QC #r "#t veri6i"0. I++ue: Ba+ed #" the +urr#u"di"0 a$t+ 5hether there i+ r#1a1le $au+e t# fle I"#r-ati#" #r Qualifed thet a0ai"+t Tria Tria 8eld 8eld:: 9,. 9,. Pr#1 Pr#1a1 a1le le $au+e $au+e #r #r ur ur#+ #+e+ e+ # fli" fli"0 0 a $ri-i $ri-i"al "al i"#r-ati#" are +u$h a$t+ a+ are +u4$ie"t t# e"0e"der a 5ell& #u"ded 1elie that a $ri-e ha+ 1ee" $#--itted a"d that the a$$u+ed i+ r#1a1l6 0uilt6 there#. It i+ the ei+te"$e # +u$h a$t+ a"d $ir$ $ir$uu-+t +ta"$ a"$e+ e+ a+ 5#ul 5#uld d e$i e$ite te the 1eli 1elie e i" a rea+ rea+#" #"a1 a1le le -i"d a$ti"0 #" the a$t+ 5ithi" the 2"#5led0e 2"#5led0e # the r#+e$ut#r r#+e$ut#r that the er+#" $har0ed $har0ed 5a+ 0uilt6 # the $ri-e #r 5hi$h he i+ t#

1e r#+e$uted. A f"di"0 # r#1a1le $au+e "eed+ #"l6 t# re+t #" evide"$e +h#5i"0 that -#re li2el6 tha" "#t a $ri-e ha+ 1ee" $#--itted a"d that it 5a+ $#--itted 16 the a$$u+ed. <"der Art. 3! # the RPC i" relati#" t# Art. 3!% a"d 3!' # the +a-e C#de thet i+ $#--itted 16 a"6 er+#" 5h# 5ith i"te"t t# 0ai" 5ith#ut vi#le"$e a0ai"+t #r i"ti-idati#" # er+#"+ "#r #r$e u#" thi"0+ +hall ta2e the er+#"al r#ert6 # a"#ther 5ith#ut the latter+ $#"+e"t. I $#--itted 5ith 0rave a1u+e # $#"fde"$e the $ri-e # thet 1e$#-e+ /ualifed. I" thi+ $a+e all the ele-e"t+ are re+e"t. It -u+t 1e "#ted that the -a"a0er+ $he$2 5a+ dra5" 16 Tria hi-+el u#" the 1a"2 PNB. The rete"+e -ade i" PNB&MW,, that led t# the i++ua"$e #  the -a"a0er+ $he$2 $a""#t 1e i-uted #" a"6#"e #ther tha"  Tria. 8i+ r#le a+ 1ra"$h -a"a0er 5h# had the re+#"+i1ilit6 #ver the u"$ti#"+ # the e-l#6ee+ # PNB $a""#t 1e #verl##2ed. Tria i+ dut6 1#u"d t# veri6 r#- the 1a"2 $lie"t+ a"6 +u#+ed auth#rit6 0ive". 8e i+ re/uired t# eer$i+e the hi0he+t de0ree #  $are 1ut thi+ de0ree # dili0e"$e 5a+ 5a"ti"0 i" Tria+ ailure t# deter-i"e the vera$it6 # the re/ue+t #r 5ithdra5al.