| Ombudsman OK money-laundering raps vs Garcias |  |
| Nation |
| Written by Zaff Solmerin / Correspondent |
| Monday, 14 December 2009 21:25 |
OMBUDSMAN Merceditas Gutierrez on Monday approved the filing of money-laundering charges against members of the family of cashiered Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, more than five years after he was accused of amassing more than P300-million unexplained wealth while in the military service. Included in the charge sheet filed before the Sandiganbayan were Garcia’s wife, Clarita, and their children, Ian Carl, Juan Paulo and Timothy Mark. The new charges were filed upon the recommendation of prosecution officer Marissa Bernal to charge members of Garcia’s family. Prosecutors said various bank transactions by the Garcias involving total deposits of P303.27 million and withdrawals amounting to P73 million and $967,215.99 constitute “unlawful activity” punishable under Republic Act 9160, because the funds involved were allegedly the proceeds of plunder. Records obtained by graft investigators showed the family held accounts in United Coconut Planters Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Land Bank of the Philippines, Allied Banking Corp., Banco de Oro, Planters Development Bank, Export and Industry Bank, Centennial Bank, Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loans Association Inc. (AFPSLAI) and Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loans Association Inc. (AMSWLAI). It also highlighted Garcia’s 2003 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), where he declared total assets of only P2.76 million. The prosecution also submitted several graphs or tables detailing the movement of money among the various accounts of the family. One table showed each of the defendants withdrawing huge sums in just four days—October 5 to 8, 2004—to empty their bank balances. This was shortly after then-Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo subpoenaed the Armed Forces for access to Garcia’s service records and SALNs on September 20, 2004. According to the prosecution’s summary, Garcia, Clarita and Ian Carl made several withdrawals from Allied Bank and BPI branches in Blue Ridge, Quezon City, and Iloilo-Main totaling P10.14 million in checks and P2.77 million in cash on October 5, 2004. Based on the same paper, the following day the Garcia couple also took out P18.47 million in cash and P256,556.76 in checks from AFPSLAI, Banco de Oro-Valero branch and BPI-Mandurriao (Iloilo). On the third day, the entire family made separate withdrawals totaling P21.63 million from UCPB-Valero branch and P6 million from AFPSLAI. On the fourth day, Ian Carl and Juan Paulo each got P5 million from AFPSLAI, while Garcia himself moved investments in AMWSLAI worth P3.16 million. From October 5 to 7, 2004, the family also allegedly drained its dollar accounts of $967,215.99. Prosecutors recommended a bail of P120,000 for each of the defendants. Garcia remains in detention owing to the nonbailable plunder charge pending before the antigraft court’s Second Division while the government is exerting efforts to have his wife and children extradited from the United States. They were also named defendants in two forfeiture cases ongoing trial at the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division. Garcia has so far been acquitted of three perjury charges and convicted in one count for which he received a short prison sentence, which was mooted anyway by his continuing detention. |
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