The Department of Justice has filed before the Makati City Regional Trial Court money laundering charges against a former branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and the owners of remittance firm Philrem Service Corp. in connection with the $81-million stolen last year from the Bangladesh Bank.
Indicted on eight counts of violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act under Republic Act No. 9160 was Maia Santos Deguito, former manager of the RCBC Jupiter St. branch in Makati City.
Also charged, together with Deguito, were alleged bank depositors “Michael Francisco Cruz, Jessie Christopher M. Lagrosas, Alfred Santos Vergara, and Enrico Teodoro Vasquez.”
Charged with four counts of violations of RA 9160 were Philrem owners Salud R. Bautista, Michael S. Bautista, and Anthony C. Pelejo. (Rey G. Panaligan)