Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The lawyers of casino junket operator Kim Wong returned an additional P38.28 million to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Monday (April 4).
The money was left by Chinese casino agent Su Hua Gao at the Eastern Hawaii and Midas casinos.
In the last Senate hearing on money laundering, Wong told the Blue Ribbon Committee that Gao gave him P550 million to play in casinos.
Only about P40 million remained. The rest was either missing or still with Gao.
This brought the total amount of funds recovered from Wong to about $5.5 million.
“Of course the AMLC is concerned, bigger amount of money should be recovered from their groups. There’s still much to be recovered,” AMLC secretariat executive director, Atty. Julia Bacay-Abad, said.
Wong’s lawyer, Victor Fernandez, however, clarified the return of the money was not an admission of guilt by his client or participation in an illegal activity.
Abad, AMLC board member Emmanuel Dooc, and Bangladeshi ambassador John Gomes witnessed the return of additional funds.
“We hope that in subsequent hearings and investigation, the whereabouts of that and who really holds or keeps that money will surface,” Dooc said.
The money will be stored at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) vault.
