Judge removed from Estrada trial

There have been a series of legal twists in Estrada's cases

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- The judge hearing the trial of deposed Philippines President Joseph Estrada has been suspended indefinitely after being accused of lacking impartiality.

The Supreme Court late Tuesday placed the justice, Judge Anacleto Badoy, on leave "until further orders from this court."

Due to this, the anti-corruption Sandiganbayan court suspended Estrada's trial on plunder until next year.

Estrada, ousted from power in January, is charged with plundering around $80 million during his 30-month term.

In separate cases before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, Estrada is also charged with perjury and the illegal use of an alias.

The trial have also been suspended, the court said, while questions over Badoy's neutrality and conduct were being resolved.

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The court said it removed Badoy indefinitely following a motion from Estrada's defense team asking that the judge be taken off the case for the "inability to act with the cold neutrality of an impartial judge."

The defense lawyers have also accused the judge of improper conduct after Badoy called for an ambulance to rush him from court last month and then take him to a television interview.

Badoy's indefinate dismissal is the latest in a string of legal twists in Estrada's trial.

Last month, a senior judge was also removed from Estrada's perjury case over criticism court proceedings were not moving quickly enough.

That judge, Francis Garchitorena, and Badoy were involved in a public squabble over apparent power moves among members of the bench.

Badoy, 69, is also suffering from health complaints. A Monday hearing was cut short and he missed two previous hearings due to stress-related ailments.

The justice has been confined to hospital for the past 11 days.