WONG
Criminal complaints filed against trader, casino operator over $81-M fund heist
Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. fired its Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito and her deputy Angela Torres yesterday, citing violations of bank policies and procedures as well as falsification of commercial documents.
“Other branch and bank officials are expected to be meted out various sanctions ranging from termination to suspension in the coming days when the internal investigation is expected to be completed,” RCBC said in a statement yesterday.
The termination was effective yesterday, March 22.
The bank claimed that Deguito and Torres had breached the rules and facilitated the alleged laundering of $81 million of remittance now being investigated by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and other government agencies like the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
“Appropriate charges in court will be filed by the bank against Deguito and Torres by next week,” the bank said.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) yesterday filed a criminal complaint against two businessmen tagged in the $81-million money laundering scandal, tagging them in facilitating the transfer of funds stolen from the Bangladesh central bank.
In a complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), AMLC accused Kam Sin Wong, also known as Kim Wong, and Weikang Xu of money laundering charges.
In the 9-page complaint, AMLC cited witness testimonies during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the case where Xu, a casino operator, was said to have received $30.5 million out of the funds between Feb. 5 and 13 of last year.
Wong, president and general manager of the Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd., was meanwhile accused of receiving P1 billion (or $21.6 million), making several withdrawals from his personal and corporate accounts on Feb. 10 and 11 this year.
Wong is said to have introduced Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito to individuals who opened bank accounts through which the Bangladeshi fund was routed.
AMLC had also filed money laundering charges against Deguito on March 11. She has been summoned to appear and answer the charges during preliminary hearings on April 12 and 19.