Swiss authorities start probe of Nani’s $1.7-M bank account

BERN (AFP) — Swiss authorities have opened an inquiry into former justice secretary Hernando Perez’s alleged money laundering activities through a Geneva-based bank, the Swiss weekly Weltwoche reported Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Swiss public ministry confirmed that several Philippine nationals were under investigation but declined to identify the others involved.

The Swiss paper named Perez as the principal suspect in the alleged laundering of $1.7 million, acquired via dubious means, through the Geneva branch of EFG Private Bank, which then alerted the police.

The Swiss spokesman said Bern asked Manila authorities in March for help in the investigations.

In Manila, Sen. John Osmeña accused colleague Manuel Villar Jr. yesterday of shielding Perez from being investigated by the Swiss government for alleged money laundering.

Osmeña made the accusation after Villar, who chairs the foreign relations committee, refused to endorse for Senate ratification a mutual legal assistance treaty between the Philippines and Hong Kong, saying his panel is still evaluating it.

Osmeña said his colleague has been sitting on the treaty, preventing the Philippine government from seeking information from Hong Kong about a $2-million transfer that Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez had claimed he made in early 2001 from his bank in Uruguay to Coutts Bank in the former British Colony.

According to Jimenez, then Justice Secretary Perez extorted the huge amount from him, an accusation that Perez has consistently denied. He said banker Ernest Escaler handled the money for Perez. From Hong Kong, he said the money was moved to banks in Singapore.

It was actually Bulacan Rep. Willie Buyson Villarama who blew the whistle on the "Million Dollar Man" in President Arroyo’s Cabinet. His exposé took place at about this time last year.

Even then, Villarama was already urging Villar to endorse the RP-Hong Kong Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty for Senate ratification so the government can seek information about the supposed $2 million transfer for Perez.

The controversy eventually forced Perez to quit the justice post last January, but kept his job as secretary general of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, whose titular head is Mrs. Arroyo. Perez has pending libel cases against Villarama, but he himself is facing plunder charges filed by Jimenez before the Office of the Ombudsman.

As for Jimenez, he is awaiting sentence in Florida where he has pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and illegally contributing election campaign funds to former President Clinton.

Osmeña said Swiss prosecutors sought two months ago the help of the Philippine government about deposits amounting to $1.7 million made for Perez in Swiss banks in March 2001.

"Nakakahiya tayo. They are trying to investigate our own former justice secretary for alleged money laundering but we were not in a position to be of any help because we have been sitting on this mutual legal assistance treaty with Hong Kong. We cannot blame our people if they see us as protecting Nani Perez," Osmeña said.

Villar promised to endorse the treaty before the first congressional recess middle of next month.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, said it has not received any new information from the Swiss government about its investigation of Perez’s alleged money laundering activities.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople however said they were able to inform the Swiss authorities about the cases filed against Perez at the Office of the Ombudsman, although these don’t have to deal with money laundering.

"The Swiss government considers this as substantial compliance to the mutual legal assistance treaty," Ople said, adding the DFA would be facilitating the transfer of documents and other information needed by the Swiss government including the verification of these.

Perez has denied that the money deposited in Swiss banks in the names of his wife Rosario and brother-in-law Ramon Arceo was his, claiming that it actually belonged to his friend Escaler.

He said before he became justice secretary in January 2001, he was selling his orchid farm to Escaler but that he wanted the proceeds to be in US dollars.

He said Escaler told him he would look for an investor and open an account in a foreign bank for him in the meantime.

He said he did not know that the banker actually deposited money in that account.

When the transaction did not push through, Escaler took back his money, he added. –With Jess Diaz, Marvin Sy