The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has filed before the Sandiganbayan criminal charges against the municipal mayor of Aklan for allegedly getting cash advance without proper accounting procedures, it was learned Thursday.

In a three-page information, the OMB identified the respondent as Makato Municipal Mayor Bobby Clyde M. Legaspi.

Legaspi was charged for violating Section 89 of Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Accounting Code of the Philippines.

Assistant Special Prosecutor Janet Leah M. Ramos found probable cause against Legaspi and recommended the filing of the charges declaring that there was a probability that a crime has been committed.

The charge sheets stated that Legaspi committed the alleged offense on April 28, 1999 in the performance of his duties "did then and there, willfully, unlawfully and criminally obtain cash advance in the total amount of P25,000 without a legally authorized specific purpose for a road project."

OMB probers stated that the project has not yet been awarded to any contractor and the mayor allegedly failed to properly account the cash advance.

They said that such cash advance damaged the interest of the government.