DFA awaits Moscow report on De la Paz

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is waiting for the final report of the Russian government on the investigation on retired police comptroller Director Eliseo de la Paz who was intercepted at a Moscow airport carrying undeclared cash amounting to 105,000 euros or P6.9 million last Oct. 11.

A source said the Russian government will send its final report on the incident to the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, and under the procedure the report will be translated to English, a copy of which will be sent to the DFA.

The source could not give the exact date the Russian government will submit its final report on the case.   

“The matter is considered sensitive because the Russian government has been very strict overall in enforcing currency control laws,” the source noted.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) had turned over the investigation of De la Paz to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The lawyer in Moscow of 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.

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.

“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.

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.

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 Caringal 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 third floor room 24324.

The De la Paz couple still stays at the officers’ quarters inside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Santiago still wants Dela Paz to face Senate probe Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago still wants De la Paz to face the Senate panel investigating the Moscow scandal.

Santiago said the report of the Senate committee on foreign relations, which she heads, had been circulated among its members and she deemed it necessary for the Ombudsman to handle the case.

In her report, Santiago said charges for malversation of government funds and violation of the President’s orders on foreign travel should be filed against the top police officials who attended the 77th Interpol Assembly from Oct. 6 to 11.

She said the Senate should still make De la Paz appear before the Senate to explain where the money seized from him originated.

The senator remains unconvinced over the PNP’s explanations that the money was a contingency fund, then the police officials changed their statement and claimed that the money is part of the intelligence fund intended to buy spy equipment.      

Santiago said she hopes the Senate will now issue the arrest order against De la Paz, adding that she will not contradict Senate President Manuel Villar’s view that the arrest order should be signed by a majority of senators.  

She said her long experience as a trial judge tells her that De la Paz is evading the Senate inquiry because he was covering up the real story behind the source of the fund.  

Santiago theorized that the money was “shopping money” and most of it intended for deposit in a secret bank account, probably in Switzerland.

De la Paz’s tales even raised more questions when his camp released the statement of a Chinese businessman who purportedly gave him another 45,000 euros and asked him to buy an expensive watch. “Since when did a police general become an errand boy of a Chinese businessman?” she asked.

Santiago said De la Paz should not use as an excuse the statements of his own lawyer that no charges were filed against him in Moscow.  - With Christina Mendez