Police Brigadier General Sinas, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said charges will be filed to the police who invested in Kapa. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas said that the policemen who would be proven to have invested in the Kapa Community Ministry Inc., may be facing administrative charges in violation to the memorandum circular back in 2013 prohibiting police from investing in quick-rich schemes.
Sinas said that it could tarnish the credibility of policemen who would be found to be investing in these money scams and could affect their line of work as well.
However, Sinas still encouraged the policemen to come forward and admit to them if they invested in Kapa.
The religious corporation was recently closed upon President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to have the group investigated and prosecuted if proven guilty to have been involved in some investment scheme.
Read more: Duterte wants Kapa, other investment scams probed, shut down
He said the policemen, who already admitted to investing in Kapa, would be prohibited from handling any Kapa case or operations.
“Some voluntarily said they invested in Kapa, but promised they will not get in the way with the investigations,” said Sinas in a press conference on Tuesday, June 25.
He also said that he feared that the police officers, who invested their money on Kapa, might retaliate against the ministry especially now that the payouts promised by Kapa might have a hard time reaching its members.
The police who invested in Kapa might use their position and uniform to get the money back.
“I do not want them to use their being a police just so they can get back their investments,” said Sinas.
Read more: Man with P1M donation to Kapa dies of heart attack
He said that even if the police officers admitted investing in Kapa voluntarily, they would still face administrative sanctions, but the penalty might be reduced because of their voluntary admission.
In previous statements, Sinas said that the policemen in Bohol, who admitted to investing in Kapa, would get a lighter penalty if they would sue the ministry for its illegal investment activities.
READ: SEC makes permanent cease-and-desist order vs KAPA
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), had revoked Kapa’s license as an organization, for not Kapa leaders not heeding their order to cease and desist their operations since they were allegedly soliciting donations from the public and allegedly running an operation similar to a Ponzi scheme.
Read more: SEC files criminal complaint vs Kapa execs for large-scale investment scam
The SEC had already filed a complaint at the Department of Justice against Kapa founder, Pastor Joel Apolinario, and other Kapa officials last June 18 for allegedly amassing wealth through an investment scam in the guise of religion and at the expense of the public.
Read more: NBI to assess seized papers at KAPA Compostela raid
In Cebu, the main office in Compostela town, north of Cebu City, has been closed by the local government unit after the National Bureau of Investigation raided the Kapa office there and served a search warrant issued by Manila Trial court last June 11.
Police have also been looking for the branch manager of Kapa in Cebu, Christopher Abad; and the founder of Kapa, Pastor Joel Apolinario, but they still have to know where both Kapa officials are./dbs