‘It’s like professional money laundering’

MANILA, Philippines – Chief prosecutor Iloilo representative Niel Tupas Jr. described the movement of money in Chief Justice Renato Corona’s accounts as “like professional money laundering” after the Ombudsman testified on the records given to her by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“Mukhang professional money laundering ang pattern, at least on the initial testimony of the Ombudsman (The pattern seems like it’s professional money laundering, at least [based on] the initial testimony of the Ombudsman),” Tupas said Monday after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales testified on the alleged dollar accounts of Corona.

Morales testified that Corona has at least $10 million deposited in 82 accounts in five banks using a power point presentation.

“We knew on the very beginning there were bank accounts, we did not imagine in our wildest dreams it would be this big and this many,” Tupas said.

He said that the revelation of the Ombudsman “shocked the sensibilities of the people to outrageous levels.”

Tupas said that the authenticated copies from AMLC were “automatically captured,” and that it would be very hard for the defense to answer Morales’ testimony.

He added that he could not understand the strategy of the defense in calling the ombudsman but not asking questions on the dollar deposits.

The defense cited unverified reports in a press briefing that Vicente Aquino, executive director of the AMLC, had denied the report Morales was testifying to.

Tupas said that the defense should just call Aquino to the impeachment court because “it was specifically pointed out by the ombudsman that it was Aquino who gave her the records.”