AMLC readies raps vs 7 in $81-M launder scheme

MANILA, Philippines - Criminal charges are being readied against seven more individuals in connection with the $81-million money laundering case, as investigators from Bangladesh are set to arrive in the country next week to begin their own probe on the loss of their government’s money to hackers.

A source told The STAR the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is gathering more evidence against the seven, who may have been among those who appeared at the recent Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearings on the issue. The source declined to share other details, including the identities of the seven persons to be charged.

On Thursday, Bangladesh Ambassador  John Gomes said members of their Criminal Investigation Department would dig deeper into the case, in coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“They will start their own investigation on how the money entered the country and who are the people involved,” Gomes said after witnessing the turnover of $4.63 million by casino junket operator Kim Wong to the AMLC office at BSP headquarters in Manila.

Gomes added officials of Bangladesh Bank are also scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

The officials, he said, would visit the AMLC on Monday and attend the fourth hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on Tuesday.

“We are hopeful that the entire amount will be recovered. The return of $4.63 million from Wong is a step in the right direction,” he added.

He said the Bangladesh government hopes Wong would return another P450 million that was part of the P1 billion brought in by two Chinese casino players.

Gomes said the Bangladesh government would also pursue the $17 million left with Philrem Services owned by the Bautista family as alleged by Wong.

“We hope to recover the rest of the amount,” he added. Philrem owner Salud Bautista said she delivered P600 million and $18 million in cash at Solaire Resort and Casino between Feb. 5 and 13 to Weikang Xu, who “is not a junket operator but merely a gambler.”

An earlier anti-money laundering complaint has been filed against Xu before the Department of Justice (DOJ). Wong is also a respondent in the complaint.

Gomes thanked the Senate, the AMLC and the BSP for their help in efforts to recover the money stolen from the account of the Bangladesh Bank at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York last February.

The money entered the country via the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and found its way to two casinos.

For her part, AMLC executive director Julia Bacay-Abad clarified Wong is not yet off the hook despite his having returned $4.63 million last Thursday.

Abad pointed out the money laundering case filed by AMLC against Wong and Xu at the DOJ would not be withdrawn.

AMLC has also filed a similar case against RCBC Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito and holders of four accounts where the money was deposited. The depositors turned out to be fictitious.

“The return of the money will not result in the dropping of the charges,” she added.

Abad said the AMLC is seeking the help of the Chinese embassy in locating Gao Shuhua and Ding Zhizie, identified by Wong as the individuals who brought in the $81 million.

“We are coordinating with them,” she said.

Casino operators invited

As the AMLC continues to build up cases against those possibly involved in the $81-million heist, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee has summoned two other junket operators to appear in the next hearing on April 5.

Invitations have been sent to Suncity Group Junket and the Goldmoon Junket, through the Solaire Resort and Hotel Casino, on the motion of Sen. Bam Aquino at last Tuesday’s hearing.

Aquino wanted to know from the two junket operators the whereabouts of Gao Shuhua and Ding Zhizie or if they were real people at all.

Wong had tagged the two Chinese as the ones responsible for bringing in the stolen money through RCBC.

Upon the request of Sen. Ralph Recto, invitations have also been sent to Rey de Guzman, the representative to Midas Hotel of the Philippine Gaming Amusement Corp. (Pagcor); Pinky Macaalay, manager of RCBC Unimart branch; and Mark Palmares, Philrem messenger.

Also summoned was the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) representative tasked to look into all Philrem Service Corp. transactions with the casinos.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, chairman of the Senate committee on banks and financial institutions, said he is optimistic the Blue Ribbon committee would be able to find the rest of the stolen funds.

“We are certain that the committee will be able to track down more stolen funds. The search will continue. The money should be turned over to its rightful owner ASAP,” he said.

“We commend Kim Wong for returning the funds that were stolen from Bangladesh Bank,” Osmeña added.

But some senators said Wong’s gesture was not enough and that others who got their hands on the loot should do the same.

“Kim Wong returning $4.6 million is only the first step,” Aquino said.

“In the previous hearing, we know that he received much more than that. In fact, I am hoping that all institutions that received the illegally acquired funds will return it at the soonest possible time,” Aquino said.

In the last hearing, Wong also testified that he got P450 million out of the loot, representing what he said was Gao’s debt to him.

The amount returned by Wong did not include the P450 million.

“We should insist that the other junket operators, casinos and other institutions return the money that coursed through them, in good faith, and because it is the right thing to do,” Aquino said.

He also said Wong is not yet absolved of any liability despite his having returned part of the stolen funds.

“Of course, these actions will not absolve any party as the investigation by the authorities is ongoing and the true picture of what happened is still unclear to the public,” he said.

Sens. Aquilino Pimentel III and Recto also said they welcomed Wong’s move but stressed this did not clear him of any possible criminal liability.

“Innocence in a criminal case is not for sale. If a crime has been committed like theft, estafa or money laundering, returning the loot will not erase the crime,” Pimentel said in Filipino.

“What he did was merely some sort of help to Bangladesh,” he added.

“I welcome its return. Eventually it will be given back to the Bangladeshi people,” Recto said. – With Jess Diaz, Marvin Sy, Christina Mendez