Dragged in money laundering probe, Wiliam Go mulls suing RCBC branch head

Atty. Ramon Esguerra, counsel of businessman William Go, holds a press conference in Makati City. RAFFY LERMA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

The lawyer of businessman William Go on Friday said they are looking into filing charges against the branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) on Jupiter Street, Makati City after his client was dragged into a suspected money-laundering scheme.

READ: RCBC branch head: Rogue or scapegoat

Atty. Ramon Esguerra said this during an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel.

READ: 6 probed for money laundering

Go, owner of Centurytex, is one of the six people who are being investigated for a cross-border electronic fraud and money-laundering scheme.

He reportedly owns an RCBC account that was used by an international syndicate to move money stolen by hackers from the US account of the Bank of Bangladesh.

READ: PH blocks $870M stolen from Bangladesh

Esguerra claimed that Go’s signature that appeared on the records of the RCBC was forged. He said Go did not open an account at the RCBC Jupiter Branch.

Branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito was accused of falsifying the opening of Go’s foreign exchange account, which consolidated all the other accounts.

Inquirer earlier reported that the dollar deposits were converted into pesos and transferred to other banks by a remittance firm called Philrem.

Esguerra said Go had never dealt with Philrem. KS/IDL