Freeze order on Aman bank accounts extended for 6 months

Manuel Amalilio

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals 4th Division on Monday extended for six months or up to June 2013 the freeze order against bank accounts of Aman Futures Group Philippines, the group implicated in the biggest Ponzi scheme in the country involving P12 billion with 15,000 victims.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano confirmed the appeals court ruling after a hearing was conducted by the Court of Appeals Monday.

Included in the freeze order are the bank accounts of Aman chief Manuel Amalilio, Aman Futures Group Phils., Inc, Aman Future Trading, Aman Air, Inc., Lurix Bitoon Lopez, Lelian Lim Gan, Uni Gen Future Exchange Marketing, Eduard Lecaros Lim, William L. Fuentes, Naezelle M. Rodriguez, Fernando Roda Luna, Fretz & Sha Trading, Rioklyn P. Toledo, Jerome John D. Valera, Jerome B. Sanchez, Nino Jorino D. Ledesma, Rico Crisostomo Medina, Jr., Diosdado Manolo Yap Dybongco, Michelle Gaceta, Nimfa Caballero Luna, and Asaza Auto Center.

The banks covered by the order are: Allied Banking Corp., Banco De Oro Unibank, Inc., Bank of  Commerce, Bank of the Philippine Islands, BPI Family Savings Bank, China Banking Corp., Citibank N.A., Development Bank of the Philippines, East West Banking Corp., Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp., Land Bank of the Philippines, Maybank Phils., Inc., Metrobank Card Corp., Metrobank and Trust Company, One Network Bank, Inc., Orix Metro Leasing and Finance Co., Philippine Bank of Communication, Philippine Savings Bank, RCBC Savings Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Security Bank Corp., Standard Chartered Bank, Union Bank of the Phils. and United Coconut Planters Bank, Philippine National Bank, and BPI Philam Life Assurance Corp.

Last month, the appeals court issued a 20-day freeze order on the said accounts and has set a hearing today to determine the necessity of extending the order.

Most of Aman Future’s victims are in Visayas and Mindanao.