Ragay reinstated as PNP-AKG head
A Chinese couple accused of financing multi million-peso illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) operations have been arrested in separate operations, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said yesterday.
Authorities identified the suspect as Wang Zhuoyu, who was apprehended in his apartment in Pasay City during a raid by the BI Fugitive Search Unit.
His wife, who was not identified, was arrested in Beijing, the BI-SFU acting chief Rendel Sy said in an interview with ABS-CBN.
Wang and his wife have been linked to multiple money laundering schemes and other criminal activities in the Philippines.
“According to a report by the Chinese police, he (Wang) is wanted in China. The report states that his syndicate facilitated the illegal funds of the POGOs here,” Sy said.
“Those funds have been traced back to him,” he added.
Investigators have traced transactions amounting to 19 million yuan, identified 23 victims, and connected the couple to criminal cases involving over 3 million yuan while operating in the country.
Despite the allegations, Wang denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was asleep when authorities took him into custody.
Meanwhile the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday nullified an order relieving the chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).
The decision followed the administrative relief of Col. Elmer Ragay, AKG director, pending an investigation into the case of an abducted 14-year-old Chinese national, as stated in an order dated February 28.
The new order referred to Section 9 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 11059, which prohibits the transfer of any PNP personnel.
As a result, the order relieving Ragay was nullified in another order issued on March 3.
Ragay’s administrative relief followed “adverse news reports and viral social media discussions questioning the legitimacy” of the operation that supposedly found the Chinese victim.
After Ragay’s relief, PNP Public Information Office chief Randulf Tuaño announced on Monday that P/Colonel Paul Abay, Ragay’s second-in-command, would act as the AKG’s officer-in-charge. However, this will no longer proceed following Ragay’s reinstatement.
The AKG was reportedly not responsible for the operation, despite the PNP’s statement last Wednesday attributing the recovery of the Chinese minor to the national police force’s anti-kidnapping arm.