BANGLADESH Ambassador John Gomes on Wednesday insisted on Wednesday that remittance firm PhilRem Service Corp. still has the $17 million that has gone missing after unknown hackers stole $81 billion from the US Federal Reserve account of the the Bangladesh central bank.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Gomes said he was disappointed that after revelations in a Senate investigation that the remittance firm still holds part of the $81 million that was stolen from the US Fed account, the firm’s officials insist on denying having the laundered money.
“The PhilRem should return what money they have. The disappointment is there,” Gomes told The Standard. “I strongly believe PhilRem has the money. I think they have something to return. The earlier they return the money, the better.”
Gomes noted that casino junket operator Kim Wong has already returned much of the money that came into his possession.
Lawyers of Wong on Wednesday afternoon returned $830,595.50 (P38,280,000) that came from his company Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company Limited in addition to the $4.63 million that Wong’s lawyer turned over to Anti-Money Laundering Council last March 31.
Wong’s company Eastern Hawaii got hold of P1 billion, or $21.575 million, of the stolen funds.
Of the P1 billion, Wong said he took P450 million as the payment of casino junket operator Gao Shuhua, one of two who reportedly facilitated the entry of the laundered money into Philippine casinos, to him. Another P550 million went through the gaming tables. He said P510 million of that amount was lost to Midas Hotel and Casino.
The other $17 million, Wong claimed, is still with Philrem.
AMLC secretariat executive director, Atty. Julia Bacay-Abad in interviews admitted that “There’s still much to be recovered” as not all amounts are being recovered.
Among those present during the turnover were BSP officer-in-charge Vicente Aquino, Bangladesh Embassy deputy chief of mission Shahnaz Gazi, Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc, Wong’s lawyers Inocencio Ferrer Jr. as well as Bangladesh Bank officials.
Asked about any timeline to retrieve the funds,
Gomes said there is no deadline to retrieve the funds but he reiterated Dhaka’s request that the stolen funds be returned to their central bank before President Benigno Aquino III steps down on June 30.
“The money should be returned to Bangladesh. I appeal to this administration to make it an aim for the issue to be resolved [before Aquino steps down.] It may not be good for Philippine-Bangladesh diplomatic ties if this will not be resolved,” Gomes said.
Despite these events however, the Bangladesh top diplomat remains optimistic that the stolen amounts from their central bank would soon be returned.
“I’m a Roman Catholic from a Muslim country, so they have more expectations. This is Roman Catholic country, so they think I’m the person to get their money back to Bangladesh,” Gomes said.
“It’s only a shame however that the money intended for a poor country has came to the hands of gamblers,” he added.
Also on Wednesday, the Anti Money Laundering Council through the Office of the Solicitor General sought to extend the first preservation order, due on May 19-20, for the entire hearing of the civil forfeiture case filed by AMLC against Wong.
Lawyers of the casino junket operator said that will comment on the issue on Wednesday.
During the senate hearing, Wong assured that he would cooperate fully with the government in the money laundering scheme that is under investigation by the blue ribbon committee.