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By YVONNE T. CHUA, VERA Files

Investigators of the Anti-Money Laundering Council recently concluded that bank accounts of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. and his family, as well as those of Janet Lim-Napoles and her pseudo-NGOs, were possibly involved in a scheme to launder the controversial “pork barrel” funds.

The AMLC’s 64-page inquiry report containing the initial findings is in itself an interesting study of the methods this government agency uses to ascertain that proceeds of an unlawful activity such as plunder were transacted to make them appear to have come from legitimate sources.

The Office of the Ombudsman submitted the report to the Sandiganbayan on Oct. 9 to oppose Revilla’s petition for bail in the plunder and graft and corruption case filed against him; his chief of staff, Richard Cambe, Napoles; her son Ronald John; and her driver-bodyguard, John Raymund de Asis.

Revilla was said to have gotten P224.5 million in “commissions and rebates” from 2006 to 2010 from his Priority Development Assistance Fund projects that were awarded to five Napoles NGOs. The commissions and rebates were reportedly coursed through Cambe.

In probing Revilla’s PDAF, the AMLC applied the “deposit and withdrawal analysis,” “tracing of funds” method, and “multiple account analysis” to a range of documents, from the Commission on Audit special audit report, “JLN CASH/CHECK DISBURSEMENT” (JCCD) vouchers, the joint sworn statement of Benhur Luy and five other whistleblowers, and Luy’s ledger and matrices of cash rebates to Revilla and Cambe, to corporate records of Napoles’ NGOs and a firm incorporated by Revilla’s wife Lani Mercado, and Revilla’s and the NGOs’ bank records.

Leigh Vhon Santos, one of four AMLC bank officers who investigated the case, told the Sandiganbayan that the banks furnished investigators account opening forms, statement of accounts (SOA), deposit slips, withdrawal, slips, credit memos, among others. He took the witness stand on Oct. 9 and Oct. 16.

The banks include Land Bank, Metrobank, Banco de Oro, Asia United Bank, Chinatrust, Citibank, Philippine National Bank, BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp. and Asiatrust in which Revilla, his family and their companies hold 81 accounts.

Deposit and withdrawal analysis

Deposit and withdrawal analysis requires looking into the deposits and withdrawals as shown in bank records such as statements of account, checks, deposit slips and withdrawal slips to reveal patterns of financial activity, according to the AMLC.

Investigators confirmed that checks totaling P444.69 million issued by the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC), Technology Resource Center (formerly the Technology Livelihood and Resource Center or TLRC) and the National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR) for Revilla’s projects indeed found their way to five Napoles NGOs:Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (AEPFFI), Agricultura Para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc. (APMFI), Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI), Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) and Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI).

Analyzing the bank accounts of the NGOs at Land Bank, the AMLC found reason to declare that the NGOs appear to be under the control or had a relation to Napoles even if she was not an incorporator, stockholder or officer.

One proof: The bank made prior confirmations with Napoles before funds were withdrawn from the bank accounts of SPDFFI and MAMFI, it said.

“JLN’s name did not appear in the incorporation documents of SDPFFI either as an incorporator, stockholder or officer of the said NGO, yet her consent on the withdrawals was secured. As a matter of course, withdrawals are confirmed only with the account holder,” the AMLC report said.

The same held true for MAMFI.

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