Wong turns over P250M to AMLC for safekeeping

Casino junket operator Kam Sin "Kim" Wong turned over P250 million to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for safekeeping.

Earlier on Wednesday, Wong's legal counsel Kristoffer James Purisima confirmed that his client would be turning over the money. He declined to specify the time for security reasons.
 

Kim Wong returning P250M to BSP today.@gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/vVknDJhMwA

— sandra aguinaldo (@sandraguinaldo) May 4, 2016

With this development, Purisima noted Wong has fulfilled his promise before the Senate blue ribbon committee to return P450 million.

In a separate statement, Wong said the money consisted of P230 million in P1,000 bills and P20 million in P500 denomination placed in nine large plastic bags delivered by his counsel Kristoffer James Purisima to the AMLC.

"May 5 po ang huling araw ng 30-days na hiningi kong palugit sa Senate Blue Ribbon Committee para isauli ang P450 million. Kaya po ngayon, isang araw bago ang deadline, ay isinasauli ko na po ang kakulangang P250 million," he said.

According to the junket operator, he had to borrow from friends to be able to come up with the money for the final tranche of the P450 million.

"Hindi po naging madali ang pagbuo ng halagang ito. Marami po akong kaibigan na tumulong sa akin para mai-raise ang pera. Nakita po nilang ako naman ang nagigipit kaya nagkusang-loob sila. 'Yung unang P200-million na sinauli ko ay galing po sa Solaire. Ito po ay dati kong binayad sa utang ko sa kanila, pero pinahiram ulit nila sa akin," he said.

'Cooperation'

Wong is a key personality in the money laundering scheme involving $81 million stolen from the account of the Bangladesh Bank with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

"It shows our cooperation, it shows na wala tayong tinatago at 'yung mga sinasabi natin, kasi nangako si Mr. Wong sa Senado na ibabalik niya 'yung P450 na binayad sa utang sa kanya sa Eastern Hawaii – ibabalik niya 'yun sa loob ng isang buwan at tinutupad niya lang 'yung binitawan niyang salita," Purisima said.

The money will be turned over to the AMLC for safekeeping "as with previous instances," the lawyer noted.

Wong admitted during a Senate hearing on March 29 that this company, Eastern Hawaii, received P1 billion from the stolen funds via money transfers through PhilRem Service Corp.

"P1 billion nasa Eastern Hawaii – P450 million binayaran sa 'kin na utang, P550 million nilaro [sa casino]," Wong told the Senate hearing on the $81-million money laundering scheme.

Wong earlier claimed he accepted the money as debt payment and investment from a couple of big time rollers, not knowing it was part of the $81-million dirty money.

Wong already turned over $4.6 million (equivalent to P215 million at P46.850:$1) to the AMLC on March 31, and P38.280 million on April 4.

His company Eastern Hawaii also turned over P200 million on April 19.

The funds are stored in the vaults of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), pending proper turnover to the Bangladesh government.

"Gusto ko pong ipakita na malinis ang aking konsensiya, ako’y may isang salita, at marunong tumupad sa pangako," Wong said, noting that business has been "difficult," but his patrons have remained loyal.

"Magko-concentrate po ako sa negosyo at haharapin ang mga kaso katulong ang aking mga abugado. Papatunayan po namin na wala akong kinalaman sa money laundering at hindi ko po alam kung saan nagmula ang pera. Kasi po kami sa casino ay hindi nagtatanong kung saan galing ang pera ng mga players," he added. – VDS/TJD, GMA News