The Department of Justice (DoJ) has vowed to provide assistance to the United States in prosecuting pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim Napoles and her family as well as secure the return of Philippine government funds they allegedly stole.
“We shall extend all assistance to the US DoJ in prosecuting these cases in US courts,” Chief Justice Menardo Guevarra told reporters yesterday.
The US DoJ has announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Napoles and five of her family members for conspiring to funnel in and out of the US approximately $20 million in Philippine funds obtained through a multi-year bribery and fraud scheme.
Those charged in the indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Domestic Money Laundering and International Money Laundering are Mrs. Napoles; her brother Reynald Luy Lim; Reynald’s wife Ana Marie Lim; and the children of Mrs. Napoles, Jo Christine, James Christopher, and Jeane Catherine.
“We have been quietly coordinating with the US Department of Justice on this conspiracy to commit money laundering case,” Guevarra disclosed.
“We welcome this development, as it paves the way for the return of the people’s money to our national treasury,” he said.
With this, the secretary assured the legal assistance the Philippine government will provide includes “the possible extradition of certain persons who might be found here.”
“In the case of Janet Napoles, however, her pending cases in Philippine courts must first be terminated before she possibly gets extradited,” he explained. (Jeffrey G. Damicog)
