Fugitive Dante Tan located in Germany?

Fugitive Filipino businessman Dante Tan, who fled Australia last week amid charges he obtained a residency visa from a government minister after making a political donation, is now believed to be in Germany, sources at the Bureau of Immigration told The STAR.

Tan, who is a close friend of deposed President Joseph Estrada, reportedly flew to Singapore from Australia but immediately left for Germany, The STAR informant said.

Another source confirmed that Tan was really spotted in Singapore before he boarded his flight for Germany.

Justice Undersecretary Merceditas Gutierrez said the justice department was already informed of Tan’s whereabouts and the Philippine government will soon start negotiating with the country for his return.

Gutierrez refused to divulge further details about the case as she said it might be detrimental to their efforts to bring back Tan to the country.

She assured though that the Philippines can ask assistance from countries where Tan will seek refuge even if these territories do not have an extradition treaty with the government.

"We can ask for his surrender if the laws of that country would allow based on respect for our request. They would just have to cooperate with us if they will be giving up the person we would like to get," Gutierrez told reporters.

The one-time influential businessman is wanted in Manila for allegedly masterminding the largest insider trading scam in the country’s history. Three arrest warrants were issued for him by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court in connection with the case.

STAR sources at the BI said Tan escaped the country shortly before March 10, 2001 despite the issuance of a hold departure order on Feb. 14, 2001. The BI is now investigating who aided Tan in his escape.

"According to Australian immigration authorities, he arrived in Australia via a Royal Brunei Airlines flight on March 10, 2001. So it appears he got out of the country a few days before that," said The STAR informant.

BI is now coordinating with Brunei immigration officials to determine how and when Tan reached Brunei. But the source said it is likely Tan used a private plane as all airline departure manifest from 2001 to present indicate he was never in any of the flights that left the country.

"My suspicion is that the private plane did not furnish us a required copy of their passenger manifest otherwise we would have detected his escape. If we can find out which private plane company, it could be charged with human smuggling," said the source.

Brunei is, however, taking time to respond to the BI’s queries.

In Australia, Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said Canberra is considering stripping Tan of his Australian citizenship after discovering he was a fugitive from Philippine justice. –With Aurea Calica