AMLC: P146-M PDAF funds transferred to Napoles accounts

More than P146 million was transferred to the bank accounts of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles from the bank accounts of two non-government organizations allegedly used to divert the pork barrel fund of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) bared yesterday.

In a testimony before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, AMLC investigator Orlando Negradas said this was the result of AMLC’s probe into the bank accounts of Estrada, who is being detained on plunder charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Negradas told the court that from 2009 to 2011, a total of P146,273,000 was transferred to the bank accounts of Napoles from the Metrobank accounts of Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc. (SDPFFI) and the Masaganang Ani Para Sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI).

The investigator earlier identified SDPFFI and MAMFI as two Napoles-controlled NGOs. Pork barrel scam primary whistleblower Benhur Luy was the president of SDPFFI, while whistleblower Marina Sula was president of MAMFI. Luy and Sula are former employees of Napoles.

Negradas said the SDPFFI made transfers totaling P123,970,000 from 2009 to 2011 from its account in Metrobank Magdalena branch.

MAMFI, on the other hand, transferred a total of P22,303,000 from 2010 to 2011 from its account at Metrobank Mayhaligue branch.

According to AMLC, the SDPFFI made 16 fund transfers mostly to Napoles’ JLN Corp. in that period, while MAMFI made five transfers to the account of JLN Corp.

Lawyers of Napoles argued that the whistleblowers were the ones in control of the NGOs used in the pork barrel scam.

But Negradas testified that the AMLC also found that many withdrawal slips for the Landbank accounts of SDPFFI and MAMFI bore notations that the withdrawals were confirmed with Napoles.

He also noted that this was a very irregular transaction because Napoles was not an authorized person allowed to conduct withdrawals.

Meanwhile, former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr. filed perjury charges against a prosecution witness for giving supposed false testimonies that tied him to the pork barrel scam.

In a two-page complaint affidavit, Pimentel – through lawyer Elmar Jay Martin Dejaresco – said Merlina Suñas committed perjury when she alleged that he was among the “first clients” of Napoles.

“I deny such allegations for being completely untrue, false and malicious,” Pimentel said in his complaint.

Suñas, who is under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice, testified that Pimentel and former senators Ramon Revilla Sr., Loi Estrada and Robert Barbers were among the first clients of Napoles.