Irene account now out of Switzerland

An alleged $13.2-billion account in the name of Irene Marcos-Araneta is no longer in the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), Former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez claimed yesterday.

At a press conference, Chavez said the account has been broken up into various accounts and transferred to small banks located in tiny municipalities in the British Virgin Islands.

Chavez said a document provided him by broadcast journalist Peter Mueller of Vox TV Germany revealed that as early as Dec. 12, 1979, the firm Sandy Anstalt opened an account with the UBS Lugano.

The same document, copies of which Chavez furnished to media, showed that Sandy Anstalt was closed after liquidation on April 30 last year, with its liquidator identified as a certain Engelbert Shreiber, of Shreiber and Zindeld, Kirchstrasse 39 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

By May 2, 1999, all Sandy Anstalt accounts at UBS Laguno were closed, except account number 885931.01 N.

"Liquidator Engelbert Shreiber has authority to sign for this account," Chavez said.

Chavez said that prior to the liquidation in December 1998, the money in the name of Maria Victoria Araneta was transferred to an account in the name of ATU General Trust with account no. 276 386 013, at Verwaltungs-und Privatbank (VP Bank) Im Zentrum, 9490 Vaduz Liechtenstein (Swift Code VPBVL 12X).

He said that the ATU General Trust is a company based in the British Virgin Islands which was incorporated on Sept. 11, 1995 under company no. 8761.

While Irene Araneta, according to Chavez, holds another account at Liechtensteiner Landesbank AG (LLB) located at Stadtle 44, Box 384, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein (Swift code LILAL12CX), account no. 184 418 36.

"Engelbert Shreiber, the liquidator of Sandy, is authorized to sign for that account," Chavez said.

Aside from this, Chavez said that Irene Araneta also holds another account at the Verwaltungs-und Privatbank, Liechtenstein (!!) with account no. 3241978.

Chavez said that Sfr. 115,000 have been transferred to Araneta's account no. 3241978 on Dec. 12, 1998 from account no. 44621-00 in Verwaltungs-und Privatbank, in Luxembourg S.A. (!!) which is in the name of ATU General Trust.

"On the British Virgin Islands, the Verwaltungs-und Privatbank (VP-Bank) is registered as Verwaltungs-und Privatbank (BVI) Ltd. It has the same address and PO Box as the ATU General Trusts," Chavez said.

Chavez said that two cash transfers from the UBS in Laguno had been made in the name of Irene Maria Victoria Araneta on July 15, 1998 with the amount of Sfr. 300,000 and on Feb. 21, 1999 in the amount of Sfr. 441,000.

He said the payee was the ATU General Trust account no. 4326 ABS at the bank Sal. Oppenheim Jr. and Cie, Luxembourg S.A. Alloe Scheffer 31, Luxembourg.

From that account, on Jan. 28, 1999 with the amount of Sfr. 211,000 and on April 4, 1999 the amount of Sfr. 415,000 were transferred to account no. 211 411 at ATU General Trust at Liechtensteiner Landesbank AG (LLB) Vaduz, Chavez said.

Chavez said that the balance of Sfr. 115,000 has been transferred from the ATU account at Sal. Oppenheim Luxembourg to the ATU account of the Verwaltungs-und Privatbank (VP-Bank) Luxembourg and finally went to the Araneta account at the VP-Bank in Liechtenstein.

"The movements of this money from the UBS to the four small banks in the British Virgin Islands and Liechtenstein indicate that the $13.2 billion Irene Araneta account is no longer in Switzerland. This also emphasizes the lies that the UBS is feeding us," Chavez said.

Chavez said that he will present the new documentary evidence at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's next hearing.

He said that Mueller is willing to testify anew in the investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

"The materials were sent to me in New Zealand by Peter Mueller of Vox TV Germany, who continued his research on the Marcos accounts after his testimony at the Senate on Aug. 19, 1999. These reached me in New Zealand last week," Chavez said.

Chavez said he was in New Zealand for a vacation.--