[ad_1]
MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) are investigating a law firm and tour operator related to the German financial services company Wirecard AG, affected by the fraud.
“The NBI, along with the AMLC, has been investigating the financial transactions of a law firm and a tour operator linked to Wirecard’s local operations in the Philippines,” Attorney General Menardo Guevarra said Sunday.
He said the NBI aims to finish the investigation before the year is out.
Three members of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) staff were preemptively suspended for tampering with the records of the fugitive former Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek.
Marsalek, who also oversaw Wirecard’s operations in Southeast Asia, faked his entry into the Philippines to evade European authorities with the help of BI staff.
Guevarra said the three BI staff members found to be in cahoots with Marsalek were indicted and preemptively suspended.
The NBI has previously implicated immigration officer Perry Michael Pancho, assigned to Mactan Cebu International Airport, and Marcus Nicodemus assigned to Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.
The NBI added that there was no indication that Marsalek is in the country.
Former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun was arrested in Germany after resigning on allegations that he inflated the company’s balance sheet and manipulated the share price.
Two of the country’s largest banks, the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) and BDO Unibank, have denied that Wirecard has deposits of around $ 2 billion with them.
Wirecard later claimed that the alleged funds probably don’t exist.
/ MUF
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
