Suspect in $5M Money Laundering Case Breaks Down Crying
The District Court in Wan Chai
A Filipino woman who was accused of laundering nearly $5 million using her bank account broke down in tears at the District Court and blamed her mother’s live-in partner for the scam.
Michelle S.C., a Hong Kong resident, tearfully denied the accusation that she used her Bank of China account to launder $4.97 million from July 2010 to November 2012.
“Hindi ko alam na gagawin nila ito sa akin (I did not expect that they would do this to me),” Michelle told Judge David Dufton on July 8.
She said it was Morris N., her mother’s live-in partner, who used her bank account for his remittance and money exchange business. She added that he did not tell her that it was used for illegal transactions.
Morris has given a statement to the police denying any wrongdoing.
“Sa totoo lang, nagalit at nasaktan ako (Truthfully, I was hurt and I felt angry after hearing Morris’ denial),” she added.
She told the judge that Morris asked her in 2010 if he could use her bank account for his business and so she gave her password.
Michelle was then working for Morris in his remittance and money exchange business, which handled amounts up to $400,000 to $500,000 a day.
“He told me that he could not open a Bank of China account because he had a money exchange business,” Michelle said.
The prosecutor, however, noted that even after she was initially apprehended for the crime of “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence” in October 2013, she continued to work for Morris and lived with him and her mother. She left them only last year.
When asked to explain, Michelle said that she had no idea that what happened involved money laundering.
“I did not think that it had something to do with money laundering,” Michelle said.
She added that she left Morris and her mother only last year because by, that time, their relationship had already deteriorated due to the case
However, Judge Dufton grilled Michelle about how she used her account.
The prosecution had alleged that she made 330 withdrawals from the account from 2010 to 2012, involving amounts ranging from $25,000 to $110,000. She denied making such withdrawals.
Michelle said that, after her monthly salary of $8,000 is deposited to her account, she would withdraw most of it to remit to her husband and family in the Philippines and keep only around $1,000-$2,000 for her to use until her next payday.
She said she did not keep any savings in the account.
But Judge Dufton noted, as an example, that bank records showed that after her salary for June 2011 was deposited, there was still $6,000 left in her account. Her July salary was later deposited but there were no further withdrawals other than those involving $25,000 and above, or the withdrawals she denied making.
“It appears you were not spending money you say is your salary,” Judge Dufton said. “Is there anything you wish to say?”
Michelle replied: “None.”
The prosecution earlier said that there were 131 deposits made to the account involving large amounts of money. Two of these deposits were made from false accounts—one account was under the name of an individual who lost his Hong Kong identification card while the other claimed that the account was opened without his knowledge.
Michelle allegedly withdrew money from her account through the ATM, over the counter, and through electronic transfers.
The Filipina insisted she did not do these things and that it was Morris who committed the alleged illegal activities.
Under Hong Kong’s Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, those convicted of the offense filed against Michelle could be fined up to $5 million and imprisoned up to 14 years.
The prosecution has to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused, even after knowing that the property “directly or indirectly represents proceeds of an indictable offence,” still dealt with the questionable property.
The prosecutor said Michelle dealt with the funds even though they were much bigger than her income during that time.
(Source: HongKongNews.com.hk)