A Negrense poultry and fertilizer businessman, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for carnapping, remains in jail in Cadiz City awaiting court action on his bid for bail pending an appeal, Cadiz City Prosecutor Frances Guanzon said yesterday.

Steniel Corral Young, has been detained since December, after Cadiz Regional Trial Court judge Renato Muñez found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the Anti-Carnapping Act of 1972.

Young was sentenced to 17 years four months minimum to 20 years maximum imprisonment and ordered to be committed to the national penitentiary, while George Sy Uy was acquitted for insufficiency of evidence.

Muñez also ordered Young to pay P580,000 by way of reparation for the cost of the truck and P35,000 per month starting from July 18, 1992 up to the present by way of indemnification for unrealized income of the carnapped cargo truck.

Young was also ordered to pay P100,000 in moral damages, and P60,000 in attorney's fees.

Young, Uy and three unidentified persons were accused of unlawfully forcing at gunpoint Prospero Henoguin, who was driving an Isuzu 10-wheeler cargo truck owned by Romeo Gaurana, to drive the vehicle southwards towards Bago City where he and his helper were forced to alight in the evening of July 18, 1992.

Thereafter the vehicle was dismantled and chopped into pieces at the V-4 Farm Enterprises in Valladolid that is owned by Young. Parts of the carnapped vehicle were later recovered buried underground, and the engine with defaced serial number was recovered from Hunter Motor bodega in Bacolod City owned by George Uy.

Young's claim that he bought the engine and the cut chasis parts from his "kumpare" cannot be given credence by the court as he should have asked for pertinent papers for the items, the judge said.*CPG

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