BSP asks Japan embassy for info on Ogami, others

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is asking the Japanese government for more information on the two Japanese companies and nationals who represent them in the collapsed Unitrust Development Bank.

In particular, BSP is requesting Japan’s monetary authorities, including its agency handling anti-money laundering, to provide details about Japanese businessman Genta Ogami who is believed to be the owner of two firms that bought 20 percent of Unitrust last September.

These two companies are G. Universal Co. Ltd. and Minamoto Saiken Kaishu Co. Ltd.

"We heard there are records of Ogami in Japan having been convicted of mail fraud. We want to find out if he really owns the two companies that bought into Unitrust, and who are the Japanese nationals that represented him and the companies," said Buenaventura.

The central bank is also looking into the possibility of money laundering in the Unitrust case based on statements made by former Unitrust officials that Ogami’s purpose in acquiring Unitrust could be to deposit or launder money solicited in Japan.

Ogami does not appear in any official document as the real owner of Unitrust but former bank officials said the Japanese businessman even issued a memorandum to employees claiming ownership of the bank.

Ogami is also alleged to have authorized the sale of unregistered securities by a company called G. Cosmos, prompting the Securities and Exchange Commission to order the closure of the company.

Unitrust declared a bank holiday last Jan. 4, following heavy withdrawals and the mass resignation of bank personnel in the latter part of December last year.

The bank is now under the receivership of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC).

The bank has 18,000 small depositors with total deposits of about P300 million.

PDIC president Norberto Nazareno said the PDIC is accepting offers to rehabilitate the bank after 90 days. If there are no offers, liquidation could be an option.

Buenaventura said monitoring and intervention by the BSP was difficult in the case of Unitrust where its management squabbled and no official documents were made available.

Despite this, Buenaventura said the central bank is preparing criminal charges against officers of Unitrust who were responsible for granting highly questionable loans that led to the financial woes of the bank.

Buenaventura said the central bank unearthed DOSRI loans of about P18 million. These loans are those granted to bank directors, officers, stockholders and related interests. – Rocel Felix