DOJ, AMLC seek freeze on Calvin Tan’s foreign accounts

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said yesterday the Philippine government, through the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), is coordinating with Hong Kong and Macao authorities in China for the freezing of the millions of dollar accounts of suspected international drug dealer Calvin Tan.

In an interview, Gonzalez alleged the dollar accounts of Tan spread over in various banks in Hong Kong and Macao were proceeds of his trafficking of illegal drugs in the country.

Tan has been tagged as the owner of the shabu factory in Mandaue City, Cebu province, that was raided by the police in September last year. Some P1.3-billion worth of shabu was seized.

The suspect, who was charged for the illegal manufacturing of shabu along with 11 others before the Mandaue Regional Trial Court on April 29, 2004, was jailed in Hong Kong after he was convicted of illegal possession of firearms.

His sentence ended on April 27, 2005.

Gonzalez said the AMLC has drafted the request to Hong Kong and Macao authorities for the freezing of Tan’s possible bank accounts.

Apart from the alleged bank accounts, Gonzalez said that the Philipping government is also trying to freeze Tan’s condominium unit in Hong Kong and Macao.

"What we are doing is we are working with the AMLC to see if we can freeze the accounts of Calvin Tan in Hong Kong and Macao. This is a long shot because it is out of our jurisdiction. It will really depend on the Hong Kong and Macao authorities," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said all the known assets of Tan in the country that were registered under the names of other persons have already been frozen by the Court of Appeals.

"We have already started the process. The first process was for the AMLC to file a petition with the Court of Appeals. That is the law. The AMLC will ask the Court of Appeals to issue a freeze order. First, we draft it and the AMLC will file it with the CA and then we go to Hong Kong," Gonzalez said.

He said the DOJ has also placed a Filipino witness against Tan under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

"This Filipino is a vital witness against Tan because he used to go to Hong Kong and Macao as a conduit to Tan. He was the one who first gave us detailed information about Tan’s involvement in drug trafficking and manufacturing," Gonzalez said.

He said some of the assets of Tan, including accounts in various banks in Hong Kong and Macao, are among those "laundered in Hong Kong and Macao from the proceeds of his illegal activities in the Philippines."

"The money already confiscated by Hong Kong authorities can no longer be turned over to us, but we are confident that the remaining accounts of Tan in various banks in Hong Kong and Macao can still be recovered by the Philippine government," Gonzalez said.

Hong Kong authorities arrested Tan when he arrived there following the raid of his shabu factory in Mandaue City last year.

Tan’s other co-accused include Joseph Yu, Hung Chin Chang, Siew Kin Weng, Liew Kam Song, Lin Li Ku, Bao Xianfu, Wu Tiao Xi and Tao Fei, Liu Bo, and Filipino nationals Allan Yap Garcia and Joseph Lopez.

They were charged for violation of the the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law.

The 675 kilos of shabu seized from Tan’s property in Mandaue during the raid is considered the biggest haul so far in Southeast Asia.