The bank manager at the centre of cyber heist of US$100 million Bangladesh Bank money refused to respond to questions at the first public hearing of the Philippines’ Senate blue ribbon committee on Tuesday, reports Rappler.
RCBC bank manager Maia Santos-Deguito reportedly said she would only address questions in an executive session, which the Senate committee rejected.
At the start of the hearing, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, who chairs the committee, junked the request for an executive session since the true holder of the account – the Bangladesh government – has not asked for it.
“There is a request for executive session because of the bank secrecy law. I cannot agree to that because the subject funds actually belongs to the Bangladesh government, which has not invoked confidentiality,” Guingona said.
He said representatives of Bangladesh Bank were at the Senate hearing as observers, as they have asked the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to help them track down and recover the funds.
RCBC bank manager invoked her right against self-incrimination and said she would only divulge in an executive session all she knew about the transfer of the stolen funds using accounts opened at her branch in Jupiter, Makati, according to Rappler.
Senator Guingona asked Deguito whether she, as branch manager, did not find anything alarming about the sudden flow of millions of dollars into 4 accounts – all idle with a $500-opening balance since they were created in May 2015 – at the same time in February.
“Sir, sorry but I have to invoke my right to self-incrimination and I will answer that in an executive session,” Deguito replied.
She said this was because the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has already filed a money laundering case against her, and anything she might say on record may be used against her.
Hours before her Senate appearance, Deguito was included in an anti-money laundering complaint filed by the AMLC before the justice department, the report said.
Deguito gave the same reply when asked whether she had affixed her signature, as branch manager, to the account opening forms of the concerned accounts; and also when she was asked whether she conducted due diligence in processing the accounts, which were found to be supported by fake drivers’ licenses.
In early February, Bangladesh Bank authorities were informed that about $100 million was illegally taken out of its account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York using an interbank messaging system known as SWIFT.
The laundered money was moved via transfer requests, with about $81 million ending up in bank accounts in the Philippines. The other $20 million went to an account in Sri Lanka.
Inquirer reports: The justice department on Tuesday assigned a prosecutor to conduct a preliminary investigation into the anti-money laundering complaint filed against a branch manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.
(RCBC) in connection with the $81-million funds stolen by hackers from Bangladesh Bank (BB).
Source: Prothom Alo
