Aman executive surrenders, offers to turn state witness

Iligan City—An alleged insider in the double-your-money firm Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc., surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation here on Friday and has offered to turn state witness.

Maria Donna Coyme told the Inquirer in an interview at the NBI office here that she started as a tutor to the two children of Fernando Luna, an official of Aman Futures, but later helped in some financial transactions and set up the firm’s financial management system.

Coyme, a chemical engineering graduate, said she taught at the St. Columban College in Iligan before joining Aman Futures.

Coyme said she was also a victim, claiming she helped raised P50 million among her contacts to invest in the firm.

Saying she was willing to turn state witness against officials of Aman Futures, Coyme turned over to the NBI documents which she said could be used as evidence. She is now under the custody of the NBI.

Meanwhile, Brig. General Daniel Lucero, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade in Lanao del Norte, told the Inquirer in a telephone interview that four persons were kidnapped on November 11 in connection with investments in Aman Futures.

Lucero identified the victims as Abdul Muhaimen Lucman, Muhammad Dresa Lucman, Amer Deca and Camlon Deca.

He described them as relatives of Aman Futures.

He said the kidnappers abducted the four to force the agent to return their money.

“The investment of the kidnapper cannot be returned so the relatives of the agent were kidnapped to pressure him to pay,” Lucero said.

The victims were on their way to Marawi City when armed men led by a certain Aslahi Montilla flagged down their vehicle on the national highway at Saguiran, Lanao del Sur.

Lucero said they have launched operations to rescue the victims.

Elsewhere, the Bureau of Immigration issued a lookout bulletin yesterday for 38 persons linked to a multi-billion-peso pyramid scam.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said he instructed immigration officers across the country to be on the lookout for the executives and directors of Aman Futures Group Phils., Inc. who allegedly milked their victims of as much as P12 billion.

However, David noted that in the absence of an arrest warrant or hold departure order from the courts, immigration officers cannot prevent those on the lookout bulletin from leaving the country.

“If anyone of them is seen leaving the country, we can only report their departure to the Department of Justice for monitoring purposes but we cannot prevent them from leaving without a warrant or HDO from the court,” David told reporters. Inquirer