Kim Wong. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
CHINESE businessman Kim Wong will face senators tomorrow to “tell all” and “correct some false testimonies” that were given to the Senate inquiry into the laundering of $81 million stolen from Bangladesh’s central bank and transferred to the Philippine financial system, reelectionist Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.
In a text message to the Inquirer, Lacson said Wong, a long-time friend of his, had reached out to him last week.
“As per my advice, [Wong] promised to tell all on Tuesday when the Senate hearing resumes,” Lacson said.
Wong returned to the country last week after receiving medical treatment in Singapore.
He is a key personality in the Senate inquiry into the money laundering of the $81 million, which was deposited in four bank accounts at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch on Jupiter Street in Makati City.
Wong was identified by bank manager Maia Deguito as the one who told her to open the bank accounts, four of which turned out to be for fictitious persons with fake addresses.
Wong is facing a criminal complaint after the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) accused him of facilitating the traffic of dirty money.
Hackers stole the $81 million from the account of Bangladesh’s central bank in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Feb. 5 and wired it to the four accounts in RCBC Jupiter branch. The money was then consolidated into an account in the name of businessman William So Go and later converted into pesos by the remittance firm Philrem, which transferred part of the funds to Chinese casino player Xu Weikang and Bloombery Hotels Inc., operator of Solaire Casino in Parañaque City.
The AMLC said Philrem also transferred P1 billion, or $21.6 million, to Wong through his Philippine National Bank account of his business, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd.
At the continuation of the blue ribbon committee’s investigation tomorrow, Wong “will shed light and correct some false testimonies made by some resource persons who testified earlier,” Lacson said.
“Nevertheless, I told him to confer with his lawyer,” Lacson added.
One of Wong’s lawyers said his client would tell the truth at the hearing to belie accusations he was behind the money laundering scheme.
“Mr. Kim Wong is only armed with the truth. He will prove that he is not hiding and that he will fully cooperate in this investigation,” lawyer Inocencio Ferrer Jr. said.