“Incredulous.”
That’s how Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano described the alleged bank account of pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy based on the allegations of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Estrada earlier showed documents which he claimed he obtained from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) showing Luy has over P150-million deposited in several banks.
Estrada said Luy’s accounts were at Metrobank, United Coconut Planters Bank and the Air Material Wing Savings and Loan Association.
Justiniano said Luy told them that if he has that kind of wealth, he would not risk becoming a state witness considering the danger and restrictions involved.
“Meron syang bank accounts pero I doubt kung ganyan kalaki. Ang sabi nga ni Benhur kung meron ako Sir ng ganyan hindi ko na gagawing mag state witness,” Justiniano, who was deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman to oversee the prosecution of all accused in the pork barrel scam, told reporters Monday.
(He has bank accounts but I doubt if they’re that big. Benhur had said that if he has that much money, he would not have turned state witness.)
Justiniano added that documents from AMLC are supposed to be confidential.
“Saan nya nakuha yan? Ang AMLC ay confidential unless magte-testify ang taga AMLC so saan nya nakuha? Walang katotohanan yan,” Justiniano said.
(Where did he get those ? AMLC documents are confidential unless someone from AMLC testifies, so where did he get them? It’s not true.)
Asked if the prosecution panel would ask Luy to return the money if it is proven that he amassed wealth illegally, Justiniano said it was up to the former to do so.
“Diskarte na ni Benhur yan kung ibabalik nya kung mapapatunayan na may ganyan sya (It’s up to him what he’d do if it’s proven he amassed wealth illegally),” he said. But the official stressed Luy is now immune from any criminal charges since he is now a state witness.
“Immune na si Benhur sa criminal charges dahil state witness na sya (He’s immune to criminal charges because he’s already a state witness),” he said.
Luy is a cousin and former trusted aide of businesswoman and pork barrel scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles.
Recently, Napoles was transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) after she was convicted for serious illegal detention filed by Luy. AU