DHAKA: Casino junket agent Kam Sin Kim Wong, through his company, on Monday (April 18) returned another P200 million ($4.34 million) to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for safekeeping in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) headquarters in Manila.
"Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company Limited returned P200 million ($4.34 million) to AMLC for safekeeping. It will be returned to the people of Bangladesh," AMLC Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad said during the 6th Senate hearing on the $81-million Bangladesh Bank heist, Tuesday, April 19.
This is in addition to the $4.63 million Wong's legal counsel turned over to AMLC last March 31, and P38.28 million ($830,595.50) last April 4.
A total of $9.8 million was returned to AMLC by the casino junket agent's camp. (READ: TIMELINE: Tracing the $81-million stolen fund from Bangladesh Bank)
His company Eastern Hawaii got hold of P1 billion or $21.575 million of the stolen funds. (READ: 6 things we know about RCBC money-laundering scam)
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.
Although some of the funds were returned to AMLC, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines John Gomes said the turnover of the stolen money "will take a little time." (READ: How Bangladesh Bank dirty money easily got into PH)
According to Philippine laws, without written consent from Wong, the recourse would have to be a civil forfeiture case in court, which is set to be filed by AMLC in the coming days, Bacay-Abad said.
Wong said the P200 million returned is part of the promised P450 million to be turned over to AMLC.
Philippine senators also urged the operators of Midas Hotel and Casino as well as Solaire Resort and Casino to return the dirty money to Bangladesh Bank.
Of the stolen money, Wong said that about $63 million went to Solaire and Midas, while the remaining $17 million is supposedly still with PhilRem – a claim denied by the company's officers.
BDST: 1306 HRS, APR 19, 2016
AKA
