Photo provided by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shows the $4.63 million that Kim Wong turned over to AMLC. (from left) Second Secretary and Head of Chancery of the Bangladesh Embassy Manila Probash Lamarong, Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad, AMLC Member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc, Atty Inocencio Ferrer, Jr. Legal Counsel of Mr. Kim Wong and BSP Deputy Governor Vicente Aquino.
The lawyer of casino junket operator Kim Wong on Thursday said the businessman was innocent, hence could be off the hook the case filed against him by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
“Walang kasalanan si Kim Wong. Maski hindi niya sinauli ang pera, wala siyang kasalanan. Tutulong siya sa gobyerno natin para ituro ang mga mastermind. Whether Kim Wong will return the money or not, wala siyang kasalanan,” Atty. Inocencio Ferrer said when asked by the Inquirer if returning the money meant his client could get off the hook.
(Kim Wong has no fault whatsoever. Even if he didn’t return the money, he’s innocent. He will help the government to pinpoint the mastermind.)
Ferrer himself turned over $4.63 million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh’s central bank to the AMLC for safekeeping at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) premises.
READ: Kim Wong turns over $4.63 million to AMLC
“Early this morning, 48 hours after the adjournment of the Senate hearing, Kim Wong asked me to visit AMLC and BSP in order to inform AMLC that we are officially turning over $4.63 million mentioned by Kim Wong at the hearing. We completed the turnover, including counting and verification of bills,” Ferrer told reporters.
Ferrer said it took them three hours to count the huge sum of money in denominations of $100 using “many” counting machines akin to those used in bank.
Ferrer said Kim Wong needed not return the money personally as AMLC and the BSP had been “trained” anyway to deal with such transactions.
AMLC’s office is located within the BSP compound.
The “receipt of funds for safekeeping” was signed by AMLC Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad, Bangladesh’s ambassador to the Philippines Major General John Gomes, and AMLC member Emmanuel F. Dooc.
Ferrer said Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III advised them how they could return the money to AMLC.
The counsel declined to say where the money was stored before it was delivered to AMLC, only disclosing that they were provided a van with two security aides to accompany him and the huge amount on their way to the BSP.
“The stature of the Philippines in the world community is restored today; even without the [intervention of] courts, part of the funds were returned,” Ferrer said.
According to the BSP, the money will be kept for safekeeping by AMLC at the BSP vault that also contains the Commission on Elections’ source code for the upcoming national elections in May.
Not off the hook
Despite Wong turning over $4.63 million stolen from Bangladesh’s central bank, he is not off the hook as far as the case filed against him by the AMLC.
“No, there’s no quid pro quo here,” AMLC member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc told the Inquirer in a text message Thursday night when asked if AMLC could withdraw the case filed against the businessman.
“His legal counsel, however, stressed that their turning over of the substantial amount to the Bank of Bangladesh with our help should in no way be interpreted as an admission of guilt on his client’s side,” Dooc said. TVJ