BUSINESSMAN Antonio Tiu bewailed Sunday the issuance of a freeze order by the Court of Appeals against his bank accounts as well as those of his three companies, saying the appellate court was misled by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which has allowed itself to be used for political harassment.
Tiu, who has been dragged into the Senate hearings on the alleged irregularities involving Vice President Jejomar Binay, accused the AMLC of lying to the CA in order to justify the inclusion of his assets in the freeze of order, lamentably including all the bank accounts of his mother.
“Since last year when my name was dragged into the Senate hearings involving Vice President Jejomar Binay, I have been preparing myself and my companies for the barrage of attacks we would face. While I had already conceded that certain government agencies would relentlessly proceed with the attacks even if they have no basis both in fact and in law, I was hoping that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) would be independent from any political pressure or persuasion. Regrettably, my trust in the AMLC was misplaced. Worse, I did not expect that the AMLC would recklessly cause the inclusion of all the bank accounts of my 61-year-old mother in the freeze order just to further harass me,” Tiu said.
“She is a private citizen who should have been spared by this. But no, they targeted my mother for no reason at all except to once again harass me,” he added.
Tiu admitted that he received Friday a copy of the CA’s order dated May 11, 2015 freezing his bank accounts as well as those of his companies Greenergy Holdings, Inc., Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corporation and Earthright Holdings, Inc.
The businessman, who has been accused by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV of acting as dummy for the Vice President, denied the allegations made by AMLC that he lacks the capability to justify his business and financial dealings.
“The AMLC lied to the Court of Appeals and its authorized representatives perjured themselves,” he added.
Tiu said a simple perusal of the disclosures of Greenergy lodged with the Philippine Stock Exchange “would already belie the claim of the AMLC.”
Tiu said that the AMLC’s alleged “unjustified transactions” actually involved the following transactions where SPCMB Law acted his counsel: 1) the sale of Greenergy’s interest in a biomass power plant for at least P400 million; 2) the sale by Earthright of marketable securities to Greenergy for about P110 million; 3) the acquisition by Greenergy of additional marketable securities in the amount of around P170 million; and 4) receipt by Greenergy of the unpaid subscription that was due from him, Earthright and Sunchamp for the total amount of more than P300 million.
“Clearly, AMLC acted in bad faith and deliberately concealed from the Court of Appeals the truth on the transactions that allegedly warranted my inclusion as well as those of my companies in the freeze order. They knew that the transactions were legitimate and fully documented, disclosed to the public and even to the SEC where one of the AMLC members is head,” the businessman said.
“It is disappointing that politicians and the AMLC are willing to risk the lives of more than 5,000 hardworking employees, farmers and suppliers who are directly and indirectly reliant on my businesses for their livelihood. This cycle of politics being involved in business, and business being involved in politics depending on who is in power must be stopped if we want our country to move forward and attain its true potential,” he said.
Tiu also deplored the leaking of the AMLC report to the public that resulted in the “defamatory articles coming out in the media which is against based on the AMLC report that was not truthful.”
On May 11, the Court of Appeals ordered 242 bank accounts frozen, including Binay’s and those of his wife, Elenita, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, several other associates and alleged dummies for the Vice President.
A spokesman for the Vice President on Sunday said he expected the Justice Department and the National Bureau of Investigation to get involved in the investigation of Binay in a last-ditch effort to destroy his credibility.
“The leak of the one-sided report of the AMLC is the start of their last ditch effort to malign the Vice President,” said Renato Quicho in a statement.
“As we enter the survey season, we expect within the next few weeks, the NBI and DOJ will resurrect the Rosario property issue despite clear statements and evidence showing Tony Tiu’s company as its owner.
The Vice President has denied ownership of the 350-hectare estate with luxurious amenities in Rosario town.
Tiu is the owner of Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp., which supposedly has the real and enforceable rights over the property in Batangas.
“We also expect the Ombudsman to press its obsession to suspend Mayor Jun Binay despite the clear absence of factual and legal basis,” said Quicho.
The Vice President’s daughter, Senator Nancy Binay, challenged the AMLC to prove that it has not been used by the administration to go after its political opponents.
She questioned why former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, who had a falling out with Binay, was given a copy of the AMLC report on the Binay assets.
Mercado has testified against the Binays in several Senate hearings.