Perez Swiss accounts opened March ’01

The prosecuting magistrate of the Swiss Confederation has requested Philippine judicial authorities for legal assistance in a police judiciary investigation of former justice secretary Hernando Perez, his wife Rosario, his brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and investment banker Ernest Escaler.

A copy of the "Request for Legal Aid on a Criminal Matter" dated March 17, 2003 obtained by reporters yesterday showed evidence of money laundering activities allegedly involving the Perez couple, Arceo and Escaler.

The document showed that three separate accounts were opened at the EFG Private Bank SA, Geneva branch in 2001. These are account number 338’118 opened on March 5, 2001 under the name of Rosario Perez and Arceo, account number 338’128 opened on March 27, 2001 under the name of Escaler, and account number 338’372 opened on March 11, 2002 under the name of Lucky Clover Enterprises Limited at the request of Escaler.

According to the document, Rosario and Arceo were the "economic eligible persons of the assets deposited in account 338’118, for which they established the power of attorney in favor of Hernando Perez."

Meanwhile, Escaler was declared the economic eligible person for the assets deposited in account 338’372. It was also revealed that a person authorized by Capcet Limited signed the documents for the account and the EFG Financial Advisor Pte. Limited based in Singapore "tied up" the banking relations.

Three other accounts under the same names were also opened at the Guernsey branch of the EFG Private Bank SA under account numbers 348’118, 348’128 and 348’372.

On March 6, 2001, $1 million was transferred from the account of Escaler in Coutts Bank in Hong Kong to the account of Perez and Arceo in Geneva.

Similarly, the Guernsey account of Perez and Arceo was credited with $699,985 from the same origin.

The Swiss authorities indicated that several investments were made using the money deposited in these accounts and that the money also moved around different accounts.

On Oct. 31, 2001, the Geneva account of Perez and Arceo was closed and the personal account of Escaler received capital in return in several transfers.

The Swiss authorities also noted that there were two important transfers that took place from the account of Escaler to a company called Swordtail Limited, which has an account at the BNP in Hong Kong.

The final transaction noted by the Swiss authorities was an $833,000 transfer from Swordtail Limited’s account to the Lucky Clover Enterprises Ltd. account in Geneva.

In the request letter, Brent Holtkamp, federal prosecutor of the Prosecuting Magistrate of the Swiss Confederation, requested the Philippine judicial authorities to provide them with information regarding the criminal procedure in the Philippines against the Perezes, Arceo and Escaler that can be useful to the Swiss inquiry.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople confirmed yesterday that the Swiss government has asked for the information.

In a statement, Ople said the request was forwarded to the appropriate agencies for action and the information gathered has already been forwarded to the Swiss authorities.

"We have cooperated fully and responded quite clearly and substantially to the specific request for information that was made by the Swiss authorities," he said.

Ople admitted that the issue might possibly have partisan political aspects and said that the request does not necessarily mean that a criminal act has been committed.

Switzerland’s Ambassador Lise Favre refused to comment on the issue, noting that there is an ongoing judicial proceeding.

"It is most unfortunate that this came out in the media. This should have remained really confidential," Favre said.

According to an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the probe into the accounts was most likely initiated because of the unusually large amounts of money transferred into the accounts in single transactions.

Any amount that breaches the $500,000 ceiling is automatically deemed suspicious under the strict anti-money laundering rules.

Meanwhile, the congressman who blew the whistle on the $2-million bribery scandal involving Perez welcomed the Swiss investigation.

Bulacan Rep. Wilfrido Villarama, however, warned that the case should not be used to drag the name of President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

"The people can now see who is lying and who’s telling the truth," Villarama said. "Hopefully, this investigation will be a big boost to our case."

Villarama last year exposed that Perez extorted $2 million from former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez after he declined to testify in court regarding the plunder and corruption cases filed by the government against deposed President Joseph Estrada.

Perez was forced to go on leave because of the accusation and subsequently resigned early this year.

The former justice chief vehemently denied the allegations and filed several counts of libel against Villarama. — With Paolo Romero