Bangladesh may get $15-M stolen funds this month – DOJ

The Bangladesh government may get this month $15 million of the $81-million funds stolen by hackers from its central bank and laundered in the country.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), it is now in the process of securing the approval of a Manila regional trial court (RTC) to release the $15 million surrendered by casino junket operator Kim Wong.

Wong returned the amount to the government in two tranches – one totaling $4.63 million and the other P488.28 million – after testifying before the Senate inquiry on the money laundering controversy.

DOJ chief state counsel Ricardo Paras III said they filed a forfeiture case before the Manila RTC last Aug. 26 in favor of the Bangladeshi government.

“The court immediately gave due course to the petition and ruled that it (was) sufficient in form and substance,” Paras said in an interview.

Paras said the RTC’s order last Aug. 30 also required the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on the petition.

After the OSG files its comment within 15 days as required by the rules, Paras said “we can then expect the court to issue the judgment on the forfeiture” case.

The DOJ filed the petition as part of government’s assistance to Bangladesh to recover the stolen funds and after a meeting between Bangladeshi officials led by Ambassador John Gomes and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in August.

Gomes said the Philippine government officials gave assurance that the $15 million would be returned after around a month.