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Friday, March 29, 2024

Wong returns more money

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CASINO junket operator Kam Sing Wong, also known as Kim Wong, on Monday turned over to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for safekeeping P38.28 million representing the abandoned money of Gao Shu Hua in the Eastern Hawaii Hotel and Casino, or Midas Casino.

The money, loaded in a big trolley bag, was brought by Wong’s lawyers Victor Fernandez and Inocencio Ferrer at the Bangko Sentral premises at around 11 in the morning.

It was the second time that Wong, one of the principal figures in the $81-million money laundering that broke out in February, turned over part of the money to Bangko Sentral, through the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

A Bangladesh embassy official (from left), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas officer-in-charge Vicente Aquino, Bangladesh Embassy Manila Deputy Chief of Mission Shahnaz Gazi, Anti-Money Laundering Council member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc, AMLC secretariat executive director Julia Bacay-Abad, another Bangladesh Bank official and lawyers Victor Fernandez and Inocencio Ferrer Jr. witness the turnover of P38.28 million from casino junket operator Kam to the central bank.

He made the first turnover of $4.63 million on March 31.

“We turn over to the central bank exactly P38.28 million. Receipt of the fund were issued by the following personalities–Atty Julia Bacay Abad, executive director of AMLC secretariat; Atty. Emmanuel Dooc, commissioner of the Insurance Commission; and Major Gen. John Gomes, ambassador of the embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,” Fernandez told reporters.

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“This money represents the abandoned money of Gao Shu Hua, in the Eastern Hawaii Hotel and Casino or Midas Casino. This is what Kim Wong said in the last Senate hearing about the P40 million, more or less,” Fernandez said.

Wong said during the third hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee that two Chinese casino players—Gao Shu Hua and Ding Zhize—were the ones who had masterminded the $81-million cyber crime in February that entered the country’s financial system through an RCBC branch in Makati City.

Kim Wong, Fernandez said, was one of the stockholders of Eastern Hawaii.  Wong cited in a previous Senate hearing that he was willing to return P450 million, but he requested a period of 15 to 20 days to complete the transfer. 

“According to Mr. Wong, he was even willing to sell properties to be able to raise the necessary money,” Fernandez said.

He said there was an impasse earlier on who would turn over the P38.28 million to the Bangladesh bank.

“Our position is that we are private individuals and we cannot negotiate directly to a foreign government. So the negotiation has to be on a government to government basis… they agreed to our position,” Fernandez said.

He said it took almost two hours before the counting of the money was completed. The amount was denominated in 500 and 1000-piso bills. Fernandez said two 500-piso bills were found to be counterfeit. He said Atty. Ferrer had to change the fake bills from his own money.

Fernandez said Wong would attend Tuesday’s Senate hearing “because he wants to finish this thing as soon as possible.”

AMLC executive director Abad said Monday the turnover of the money to the Bangladesh bank, both the $4.63 million and P38.28 million, was currently being arranged.

“The AMLC and Bangko Sentral are facilitating the return of money [to the Bangladesh bank],” Abad said.

Earlier, Wong testified before the Senate blue ribbon committee that he had no knowledge nor participation in the entry and transmittal of stolen funds to the Philippines via Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. branch on Jupiter Street in Makati City, which eventually ended up in

Midas and Solaire casinos.

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