TF Aman eyes freeze on scam's bank accounts

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Task Force Aman will ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLAC) to freeze an estimated P12-billion deposits of the Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc., which the investment scam group amassed from thousands of defrauded victims, according to officials.

Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles, police regional director, said he has ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 9 to find out which banks Aman Futures have transacted with.

The CIDG 9, the lead investigating body of the Task Force Aman, was also directed to find out all the assets of the investment scam.

“Iyong mga banks kailangan natin (ma-trace) iyan para maka-apply ang CIDG sa AMLAC ‘yong tinatawag natin na freeze order galing sa court,” Estilles said.

Estilles said the properties of the Aman Futures must be recovered and secured to prevent the group from selling them.

“Iyon na lang ang paraan para iyong mga nabiktima nila ay makuha ng [danyos], maibalik sa kanila ang naipundar na pera,” Estilles added.

CIDG 9 director Senior Superintendent Edgar Danao, Task Force Aman commander, said they have recovered so far nine check booklets,  eight issued by PS Bank and one from RCBC, under the name of the Aman Futures.

Danao said they were also processing the hard drives of two computers of the Aman Futures, which were turned over to them by  residents of Pagadian City.

He said their cyber forensic experts are on the process of gathering the data banks in the recovered hard drives, which they believed to be containing  pieces of evidence on the operations of the investment scam.

Except for the result of the processing of the recovered hard drives, the Task Force Aman has already submitted its official reports to authorities.

Estilles said the Task Force Aman also filed cases against 84 personalities involved in the operation of the investment scam.

“Practically everybody na involved doon sa (operations) ng Aman Futures, especially officers,” Estilles said.

He said their case is different from the case filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). However, all the cases will be forwarded to the special panel of prosecutors created by the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Estilles said they expect to file another set of complaint within this week, adding that more and more victims are submitting their complaints.

He said the five suspects who surrendered to the NBI will no longer be charged by the Task Force Aman as they eir willingness to cooperate with authorities.

Those who surrendered to the NBI identified as Leila Lim Gan, Edmund G. Lim, Wilanie Fuentes, Nazelle Rodriguez, and Lurix Lopez were listed in the Task Force Aman as among the top 10 respondents.

“Sa batas kapag sumuko ka medyo magkaroon ka ng mitigating circumstance. Kasi yong flight is an admission of guilt,” Estilles added.