Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente tells Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre that the money used in the alleged extortion activity of two Immigration officials have been turned over to the Philippine National Police.
This is Morente’s response to Aguirre after the Justice Secretary ordered the BI Chief to deliver to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the amount of P 20-million, which was supposedly part of the bribery/extortion money from online gambling tycoon Jack Lam.
In a letter to Aguirre, Morente said, Calima had turned over the fund to the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Morente also said, the money now in the custody of the PNP CIDG is actualy worth P 18-million.
He also informed Aguirre that Calima wanted to use it as evidence in filing plunder cases against BI Associate Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles.
Morente’s reply letter to Aguirre also noted, “General Calima has been terminated from the service on December 13, 2016. Thus, I have no jurisdiction over him.”
Just before noon on Thursday, Calima and operatives of the PNP CIDG went to the Ombudsman to formally file plunder cases against Argosino and Robles.
Later in the day, Retired Police Senior Supt. Wally Sombero also arrived at the Ombudsman and surrendered P 2-million worth of money he allegedly received from Lam.
Sombero claimed the P 2-million represents his share in the P 50-million total amount extorted from Lam allegedly by Argosino and Robles.
Sombero was tagged as the alleged representative of Lam in the transaction.