‘Marcos son’ says he wanted to aid poor

Dickson Lee

Mo Pui Yee

A Filipino man claiming to be a son of ex-president Ferdinand Marcos told a court yesterday he stopped in Hong Kong on his way to meet President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji in Beijing to discuss mainland development projects.

Tiburcio Villamor Tan

Marcos, 53, is accused of seeking to withdraw US$90 billion (HK$702 billion) from HSBC with bogus documents.

Testifying in the District

Court yesterday, Marcos said he was involved in a multinational project and had stopped over last March. He said that on seeing children sleeping in the streets, he was so touched he planned to donate some of the US$90 billion to SAR charities.

Marcos denies one count of using a copy of false instrument, one of copying a false instrument and one of breaching his condition of stay.

Prosecutor Ian Polson questioned his motive for coming to Hong Kong, saying: ‘‘Is it

[not] more deserving to make donations in the Philippines, where people are more needy? Any particular reason for picking Hong Kong?’’

Marcos replied: ‘‘There is serious corruption in the Philippines. Hong Kong is a better place as it has a good Government and is free from corruption.’’

He said he had $34 million in China ready to transfer to Hong Kong. But Mr Polson challenged his wealth. ‘‘You were granted legal aid, but you refused because you were asked to make the minimum contribution, is it correct?’’ he said.

Marcos, who is defending himself, did not give a direct reply.

The court heard he told two men – Karsten Kenntoff and Georg Lipp – to arrange a meeting with the HSBC chairman to seek the withdrawal from a ‘‘secret account’’.

A set of documents, including an insurance certificate in the sum of US$54 billion and a custodial safekeeping receipt for US$36 billion, had been faxed to HSBC to facilitate the request, but bank staff said the documents were bogus, the court was told.

Neither Mr Kenntoff nor Mr Lipp were charged.

The trial continues before Deputy Judge Julia Livesey.

Cathay pilots and friends file into St John’s Cathedral, where they heard an appeal from the first officer’s friend for an end to their dispute.