Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Senators expect Kim Wong to appear on Tuesday’s (March 29) Senate investigation on the multi-million dollar money laundering scandal.
Kim Wong is the casino junket operator who allegedly received a fourth of $81 million hacked from Bangladesh central bank.
Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies chairman Sen. Serge Osmeña earlier said Wong could be the main coordinator of the alleged laundering scheme from the Rizal Commercial Bangking Corporation (RCBC) Jupiter branch in Makati to casinos.
“He’s a big player in this and he’s the missing link,” Osmeña said.
Also read: Bangladesh ‘optimistic’ it will get $101 million back after bank heist
The senators are expected to ask Wong if he was aware that the money he allegedly received are stolen funds from Bangladesh—and why he placed the money under the name of businessman William Go.
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said: “If they knew that there was a stop payment request and they honored the stop payment request with the four accounts, why did they still continue in processing the money and converting the money in the account of William Go, in the account of Philrem, bakit [why]?”
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee also summoned former RCBC Jupiter branch assistant manager Angela Torres, who previously defended her friend and former branch manager Maia Deguito from accusations of money laundering.
In a radio interview, Torres said Deguito has only been a scapegoat of some “bigger fish” behind the scandal.
In a letter, Deguito’s camp asked the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to grant her a week-long respite until April 4, citing health reasons and the absence of her lawyer, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who is currently out of town.
Deguito’s counsel Atty. Rene Saguisag also assured the committee of the former bank manager’s cooperation.
