Napoles asks Manila court to lift forfeiture order on her assets

Janet Lim-Napoles INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles on Friday urged the Manila Regional Trial Court to lift the provisional asset preservation order (PAPO) issued against her assets.

Napoles is the principal suspect in the pork barrel scam.

During Friday’s hearing, Napoles’ counsel said the preservation order against her assets should be lifted because of the government lawyers’ failure to specify that the money and properties were illegally acquired.

Her camp added that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) also included properties acquired before the period when the pork barrel scam reportedly started.

Among the properties cited include one purchased through a bank loan in 2002 worth P9.935 million and was fully paid in 2009; another property they cited was purchased also through a bank loan worth P15 million and was paid in 2008.

But the AMLC argued that purchase of the said properties are considered suspicious considering that Napoles does not have the capacity to acquire such properties.