Diplomat hopeful of recovering $81M

BANGLADESHI Ambassador Maj. Gen. John Gomes said last night his country was hopeful that it would recover the $81 million stolen from its central bank last month.

“So far, so good,” was how Gomes described the more than five-hour hearing by the Senate blue ribbon committee, saying he was “happy” about the Senate investigation and how it was conducting the probe.

“We are indeed grateful to the Philippine Daily Inquirer very much for publishing the [story of the] scam,” Gomes told reporters after the hearing.

The Inquirer broke the news about the alleged money laundering of $81 million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh Bank and sent to the Philippines through Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC).

Gomes said he would learn more about how his country’s money was stolen in the next hearing set on Thursday, which would include an executive session sought by RCBC branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito who promised to tell all.

Gomes said he would ask if he could attend the executive session.

He said the United States was helping his country recover the stolen money.

‘Well planned’

Gomes said he still did not have information about who hacked their bank.

In a news briefing after the hearing, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, committee chair, said it was not clear yet who should be held liable for the alleged money laundering of the $81 million.

What was clear at Tuesday’s hearing was that the scheme to steal and launder the money was “well planned” since the bank accounts where the money was deposited at RCBC were opened last year, Guingona said.

“It could have not been done by one person. It needed the cooperation of the banks and the remittance company,” he said.