Chinese businessman Kim Wong attends the Senate probe into the $81-million money laundering scheme. CATHY MIRANDA/INQUIRER.net
Two foreigners had allegedly brought in $81 million funds allegedly stolen from the Bank of Bangldesh into the Philippine financial system, Chinese businessman Kim Wong told a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Wong did not immediately name the two foreigners when he faced for the first time at the ongoing Senate blue ribbon committee’s investigation on the controversy but said he would place their names in a sealed envelope with their passports.
“Una, wala akong kinalaman sa pagpeke ng documents para pumasok ng pera sa bansa. Hindi ko alam ang pinagmulan ng $81 million,” he said reading from a prepared statement.
“Pangalawa, dalawang foreigners ang nagpasok ng $81 million. Isa sa kanila ay matagal ng labas pasok sa Pilipinas at kikilang junket agent at high roller. Para makatulong sa mga imbestigador, ilalagay ko sa isang sealed envelope ang kanilang pangalan at kopya ng passport at isa-submit ko sa komiite,” Wong added.
(First, I have nothing to do with the falsification of documents that allowed for the money to enter the country. I don’t know where the $81 million came from.
Second, two foreigners brought the $81 million in the country. One of them has been in and out of the Philippines and is a known junket agent and high roller. To help the investigators, I will put their names in a sealed envelope along with a copy of their passport and will submit it to the committee.)
The businessman said it was the former branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC), Maia Santos-Deguito, who forged the bank accounts allegedly used to receive and withdrew the stolen funds.
Contrary to Deguito’s earlier claim, Wong said he only referred one foreigner to the branch manager to assist the opening of an account in her branch.
Deguito earlier said that it was Wong, who referred to her the five bank account holders, who later became the recipients of the stolen funds.
“Si Maia rin ang gumawa ng lahat ng paraan para mailabas ang lahat ng pera sa banko,” Wong added.
(It was also Maia who pursued all means to release the money from the bank.)
Of the total $81 million stolen funds that were deposited and withdrew from the RCBC branch of Deguito , Wong said about $63 million went to Midas and Solaire casinos.
“Ang balanse more or less $17 million sa pagkakaalam ko po ay na kay Philrem,” he said, referring to the remittance firm Philrem Service Corporation, which was also dragged into the controversy.
(The balance which is with Philrem is more or less $17 million.)
The businessman is still answering questions from senators as of posting. CDG
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