‘Mastermind’ names two players, blames Deguito

A meagre amount of $4.63 million, out of the $81 million stolen from Bangladesh Bank’s overseas account, remains in the possession of Solaire Casino Resorts Hotel, revealed the suspected mastermind of the scheme.

Facing the Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry on Tuesday, the suspect, Kam Sin Wong, volunteered to return the money in his possession to the Bangladesh authorities.

“The ambassador of Bangladesh is here.  Maybe he has a box, so we can put the money there,” said Wong.

The committee chair, Teofisto Guingona III, termed this a positive development, although this is a very small amount in view of the entire amount that was taken away from the Bangladesh Bank’s account with New York’s Federal Reserve Bank.

However, the operator of what is regarded as the Philippines’ largest casino junket operation, who is commonly known as Kim Wong, denied that he had a hand in the US$81 million cyber heist that hit Bangladesh Bank.

Instead, he pointed his finger at the relieved Jupiter Makati branch manager Maia Deguito of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC), as the one responsible for releasing the money from the bank.

Wong also named one Sua Hua Gao and a certain Mr Ding [or Din] as among those who got hold of the money.

”They are among the big players, and they took the money,” he told the panel.

Kam Sin Wong showed pictures he took depicting what he related as money received by Solaire Casino and deposited to the junket operator.

In his opening statement, Wong said, “I have no involvement in forging documents. It’s Maia [Deguito] who faked the paperwork, and worked out how to withdraw the money.”

Deguito has been relieved of her job in the wake of the scandal.

Wong said that, of the $81 million that entered RCBC, about $63 million was released and went to Solaire and Midas casinos. The balance of around $17 million was coursed through the remittance company Philrem.

Wong also revealed to the Senate panel that about $4.63 million remains in the possession of Solaire Casino Resorts Hotel.

In his testimony, Wong said that about 400 million Filipino peso and $5 million were used at Solaire Casino by junket players from the proceeds of the $81 million.

”About $4.63 million was left from the Solaire junket; it’s still with Solaire,” Wong said.

He said that another 40 million pesos, which have remained unused, in still with Midas Hotel casino under his company Eastern Hawaii.

“I have talked to the blue ribbon panel chair and I said I will ask my lawyer to bring it ($4.6 million) to the Anti Money Laundering Council tomorrow,” Wong said.

When asked if he was willing to return the P550 million brought to Midas, he said he would if compelled.

Wong also revealed the time-and-motion process of how the cash made its way to Solaire from 5 February to 14 February 2016:

1.    5 February 2016 – A certain Ding Xi Xie arrived at Solaire Casino to play. Around 6:00 to 6:30 pm, a certain Concon Bautista brought about P80 million and Maia Deguito brought about P20 million (P = peso) to be deposited to Solaire. “Deposited the money at 8:05 p.m., I took pictures showing the money received by Solaire and deposited to the junket operator, then Concon, Maia and I went to eat at a Korean restaurant,” Wong said.

2.    9 February 2016 - Wong went to Bautista’s house to get another P100 million and $3 million, all in cash.

3.    10 February 2016 – Wong got another P100 million and $2 million, all in cash, at Bautista’s house.

4.    14 February 2016 – Wong withdrew another P100 million from Bautista’s house.

“All of the P300 million were deposited with the junket operator, who wanted to take $5 million but I objected because it was not part of the agreement,” Wong said.

However, Wong told the committee that about $370,000 in cash was withdrawn by the junket operator, and the remaining balance of $4.63 million is still deposited with Solaire.

Fake account opening

Wong said that five fake accounts were opened by Deguito as she promised to a certain Sua Hua Gao, when they met in his junket operations office at Midas Hotel and Casino, last 4 February 2016.

With $2,500 initial deposit, the fake accounts were opened, under a corporation suggested by Deguito to Gao, Wong said.

”Gao came on 4 February, saying casinos are seeing not so good times in Macau and there are some who want to invest in casino junket operations here,” Wong told the Senate panel.

Wong said Ding, a resident of Macau, came as junket player, and was going to invest in the junket operations.

Wong said further that Ding and Gao told him to meet them in Solaire since there would be a remittance for the investment.

”I contacted Maia, and was almost in a nagging fit trying to find out if money had flowed in,” Wong said.

Wong said that at around 1pm, Deguito called him to say that an amount of $6 million has arrived, and he instructed her to bring the money to Solaire.

”Then she called again, $30 million more, and still more,” Wong said.

PhilRem’s denial

Salud Bautista, president of PhilRem Service Corporation, told the committee that she has nothing to do with the scam since they were just appointed by RCBC to course the money to Solaire.

”We were just called by RCBC. If only we knew it was stolen money ...,” Bautista said. “We were clueless about these accounts being felt.”

Enrile

Senator Enrile said that after three hearings, there remain questions on the controversy.

“How much money remain in the country and how much is taken out?  This is pertinent because we have to know who the hackers we should guard against,” Enrile said.

AMLC said the hacking appears to have been done outside the Philippines, and that its investigation is being done by another agency.