German in investment scam faces deportation

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the deportation order issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) against a German fugitive tagged in a 24-million-euro investment scam in his country.

In a six-page decision released yesterday, the appellate court’s 13th Division ordered the BI to deport Josef Blashchak.

The CA dismissed Blashchak’s petition questioning the order on technical ground.

It held that the petitioner failed to exhaust all administrative remedies available before elevating the matter to the court.

Blashchak should have brought the matter first before the Department of Justice or the Office of the President, said the CA ruling penned by Associate Justice Celia Librea-Leagogo.

Associate Justices Franchito Diamante and Melchor Sadang concurred with the ruling.

Records showed that on Aug. 11, 2011, BI’s law and investigation divisions approved the filing of charges against Blashchak.

The District Court of Mannheim issued on March 28, 2011 a warrant for the arrest of the German for defrauding investors of around 24 million euros. 

On July 29, 2011, the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany informed the BI that it has invalidated the passport issued to Blashchak, making him an undocumented fugitive.

In response, the BI issued in November 2011 a summary deportation order against him.

Blashchak was arrested on Dec. 6, 2011.

The German was released from detention after the BI granted him temporary liberty on July 20, 2012.

However, his provisional liberty was canceled by the BI after two months upon the request of the German embassy.

Blashchak is being held at the BI detention center at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.