Sta. Isabel denies withdrawing money using Jee’s ATM account

The primary suspect in the abduction and murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo has denied that he withdrew cash from the victim’s ATM account, but footage from a closed-circuit television camera shows otherwise.

Citing Jee’s wife Choi Kyung-jin, a presentation by the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group during Thursday’s Senate probe said there were four ATM withdrawals on the BPI master card of the victim on the night he was abducted in their Pampanga home, with P20,000 in each transaction.

But Jee’s house help Marisa Morquicho, who was abducted with the businessman last Oct. 18, positively identified SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel as the man caught in CCTV withdrawing from Jee’s ATM.

“‘Yung pumasok sa loob ng bahay ay si SPO3 Sta. Isabel,” Morquicho told senators.

Asked by Senator Rissa Hontiveros to identify if it was Sta. Isabel who was also shown on the video withdrawing money from the ATM, Marquicho answered in the affirmative.

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But Sta. Isabel denied all the allegations being hurled against him, adding that it was Atty. Rafael Dumlao who plotted and executed Jee’s killing.

“Si Dumlao talaga ang nagmamaniobra nito (It was all Dumalo’s work),” Sta. Isabel said.

Jee was taken from his home in Angeles, Pampanga last October 18, 2016 by policemen allegedly led by Sta. Isabel in the guise of a drug arrest. It was later revealed that the businessman was killed inside the police headquarters in Camp Crame the same day he was abducted. IDL/rga