No criminal raps vs euro generals, wives - De la Paz lawyer

MANILA, Philippines – The lawyer in Moscow of embattled retired Philippine National Police comptroller Director Eliseo de la Paz has reported that no criminal charges would be filed against any of the Filipino police officials and their companions after Russian Customs officials completed their investigation on the undeclared 105,000 euros or P6.9 million.

De la Paz’s Russian lawyer Alex Binetskiy sent an e-mail to the former police official’s Filipino lawyer Noel Malaya last Wednesday and provided an update on the case.

De la Paz and his wife Maria Fe were held at Moscow airport last Oct. 11 for carrying undeclared cash amounting to 105,000 euros after they attended the 77th International Police (Interpol) General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia. Aside from De la Paz the other police delegates also brought along their wives to Russia. PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa did not attend the Interpol meeting but his wife Cynthia went with the PNP delegation.

De la Paz, who retired on Oct. 9, attended the convention from Oct. 7 up to Oct. 10 at St. Petersburg. The other police officials in the delegation were Deputy Directors General Emmanuel Carta, Ismael Rafanan, Directors Romeo Ricardo, Silverio Alarcio, German Doria and Jaime Caringal, Superintendent Elmer Pelobello, who is the aide of the delegation.

In an e-mail sent to Malaya, Binetskiy said that no charges would be filed against any member of the police delegation and the euros that were seized from De la Paz will soon be returned to the PNP.

“The investigation is over and no criminal charges presented to anyone of the group. The money (105,000 euros) will be returned immediately after the decision of the investigator Capt. E. Rudenko will be confirmed by his chief. I am in contact with him everyday,” Binetskiy informed Malaya.

He also said that the other members of the PNP delegation would no longer be questioned.

Binetskiy was apparently referring to the reported request of Russian authorities to summon Verzosa’s wife Cynthia and Director Caringal to return to Moscow and answer questions from investigators.

The STAR obtained a copy of the letter dated Oct. 31, 2008 sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Ambassador to Moscow signed by head deputy of customs on law enforcement, colonel of the Russian Customs Service.

In the letter, Verzosa’s wife Cynthia Jarin-Verzosa and Director Jaime Caringal, regional director of Western Mindanao, were ordered to appear before the Russian authorities on Nov. 13, 2008. The two were told to go to the Sheremetyevo Airport, Administrative Building Sheremetyevo Customs 3rd floor room 24324.

Malaya also asked Binetskiy on the reported summons sent by Russian officials to the other members of the PNP delegation.

“No more charges or questions to any other members of the group from Philippines,” Binetskiy told Malaya in his e-mail.

Meanwhile, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate investigation on the undeclared 105,0000 euros should focus on the possible violation of the anti-money laundering law by De la Paz, rather than blaming Verzosa and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno for the violation of President Arroyo’s directive on foreign travels.

He said that it is up to Palace to reprimand Puno if indeed he violated the President’s order on foreign travel.

Zubiri said the Senate should resume the investigation after the PNP failed to complete the investigation on the concerned police officials and transferred the case to the Office of the Ombudsman.

He said the senators are still waiting for the return of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who chairs the Senate committee on foreign relations that probed the Moscow scandal, before a final decision is reached on the arrest order against De la Paz. 

Zubiri added that he wants to hear from Santiago first especially after the National Police Commission already released its finding that members of the PNP delegation who attended the Interpol Assembly from Oct. 6 to 11 violated many administrative regulations. – With Christina Mendez