NBI files case against Aman

CEBU, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed a complaint of syndicated estafa against the chairman, incorporators and agents of the Aman Futures Group Inc. before the Department of Justice.

Named respondents are Aman Futures chairman Aman Amalilio and incorporators and agents Fernando Luna, Lelian Lim-Gan, Eduard Lim, William Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez and Lurix Lopez  Amalilio has residence on B. Rodriguez St. in Cebu City.

Regional Director Edward Villarta said only eight of the ten victims stood as complainants as the two failed to comply the necessary requirements.

They are Allan Dianalan of Guadalupe, Norhabib Condin, Ann Monica Urbina, Faisal Salic, Ayubkhan Conding and Agakhan Dianalan of Capitol Site, Derrick Yap and Philip Yap.

The complainants invested a total of 106.9 million with Aman Futures Group Inc., the trading firm currently being investigated for being behind a P12-billion pyramid scam.

Oliva said the complainants must present proofs that they were among the victims of the scam like bank receipts and receipt issued by the company.

Last Wednesday, DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima created a panel of prosecutors to attend to about 1,500 victims of the scam in the Visayas and Mindanao.  She also ordered a manhunt operation against the officials of the investment firm.

Police Regional Office 7 Deputy Regional Director for Operations Senior Supt. Louie Oppus said they submitted the information that they have gathered about the people behind Aman Futures to Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who was in Cebu City recently.

President Aquino vowed yesterday that the suspects in the scam are being tracked down and will be brought before the bars of justice.

He noted that Philippine authorities could invoke the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty among Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) member- countries to extradite a Filipino-Malaysian who reportedly fled to Malaysia to evade responsibility.

Amalilio is a Filipino-Malaysian who is the principal suspect in duping hundreds of Filipinos of their hard earned savings by enticing them to invest in a multi-level marketing company.

Aquino added that the National Bureau of Investigation had been coordinating with its counterparts in Malaysia in searching for Amalilio.  The President said the suspects in the pyramiding scam must be made responsible and “we are tracking down all those involved.”

He said due process must take its course and that there must be preliminary investigation before information could be filed and a hold departure order plus warrant of arrest could be issued.

The President said he was not ready to comment on specific cases like the one involving Pagadian City Mayor Sammy Co, who was said to have invested and even encouraged other citizens to put in their money in the company as well.

He said investigation was underway and there were no direct evidence yet to link LGUs to the scam.

But the President said it was clear who were those running the company.

Based on the latest report to him on Wednesday, there were already 8,000 complainants and the bulk of them came on the second week of October.

“If I’m not mistaken before that nobody wanted to cooperate as early as July,” Aquino said.

The President said early opportunities to pin down the suspects were missed because the complainants refused to cooperate with authorities early on.

He said it was too bad and a waste that as early as July, the suspects could have been caught but the case did not prosper because of the absence of witnesses, those who would provide the paper trial and testimonies to strengthen the case.

The President also said the government should not get the blame because as early as June or July, the Department of Trade and Industry already warned against “this pyramiding scam,”  then the Securities and Exchange Commission followed in August as the National Bureau of Investigation began its probe.

When the NBI started investigating, Aquino said  investors that were approached told them they were “kill joy”  and why “stop”  their chance to earn big really quick.

“So, I just want to stress that government agencies, even before the problem escalated, warned our fellowmen,” Aquino said.

The President said there were similar schemes even in Marawi and who transferred to Aman.

“We will not stop, we need justice, but in the end we also need the cooperation of the people in fulfilling their duties to prevent this kind of scam,” Aquino said.

Budget Secretary Butch Abad confirmed in an interview over dzMM there were some politicians who invested in Aman Futures.

Abad did not name names but said it had been made certain that some local officials did invest in the beleaguered company.

Abad said in the same radio interview that they would have to know if the funds were personal or that of the local government units.

Abad explained LGUs could put in any portion of their internal revenue allotment (IRA) in any form of investment or money market.

IRA pertains to a portion of national taxes that is given to LGUs. Under the 1991 Local Government Code of the Philippines, the funds should be used for a province or municipality’s development projects, general administrative costs and operating expenses.

He said the LGUs should have reported the scam immediately and would be responsible as well if they did not, since it was part of their obligation to protect the people from getting victimized.

Abad said IRA could be deposited in a bank before use but not invested in the stock market or money market. —MBG (FREEMAN)