Probe on Aman Futures suffers delay anew

MANILA, Philippines - The preliminary investigation into the syndicated estafa charges filed against officials and agents of Aman Futures Group Phils. Inc. over a P12-billion investment scam that victimized at least 15,000 people in the Visayas and Mindanao held in Pagadian City last Monday suffered another delay.

This, after Aman board member Fernando Luna and his wife Nimfa asked for more time to submit their counter-affidavits, saying they only received copies of the complaints a few days before the hearing.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) set the next hearing on Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. at the DOJ office in Manila.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edna Valenzuela, head of the special panel of DOJ conducting the preliminary investigation, said the complainants agreed to reset the hearing.

Valenzuela said all respondents – except the Luna couple – submitted their counter-affidavits during last Monday’s hearing. It was also the first time that Aman officers and agents faced their victims since the firm collapsed last year.

Manuel Amalilio, the head of Aman, is reportedly hiding in Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

The DOJ panel had reset the hearing last Dec. 5 due to devastation brought by super typhoon “Pablo” in Mindanao.

The DOJ earlier vowed to file the case against Aman executives and agents in court before Christmas.

The first hearing was held at the DOJ office in Manila last Nov. 27. Five board members – Leila Lim Gan, Eduard Lim, Willanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez and Lurix Lopez – appeared and submitted their respective affidavits and said they wanted to turn state witness.

The DOJ has so far received 15 sets of complaints against Aman.

The National Bureau of Investigation also filed two sets of complaints, which implicated Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co.