Doctor in Aman scam faces estafa raps

MANILA, Philippines - A physician implicated in the P12-billion investment scam that Aman Futures Group Phils. Inc. had allegedly perpetrated will be indicted for syndicated estafa.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano has approved a   resolution of a special panel of prosecutors chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edna Valenzuela dismissing the motion for reconsideration of Rico Medina.

“A perusal of the arguments raised by respondent Rico Medina in his motion for reconsideration shows that the same are mere rehash of the defenses he already posited in his counter-affidavit which have already been passed upon in the said resolution,” read the resolution.

The prosecutors said Medina failed to raise new arguments to warrant reversal of the findings against him, and that his defenses are merely evidentiary in nature and best ventilated in a full-blown trial.

“It bears to highlight that the undersigned found probable cause to indict respondent Rico Medina with such offense on the basis of his own acts and participation in the commission of the crime,” read the resolution.

Medina is a co-accused of Aman founder Manuel Amalilio and other executives and agents of the investment firm facing trial for victimizing some 15,000 investors in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Other accused are Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co, now a fugitive, and six Aman board members – Fernando Luna, Lelian Lim Gan, Eduard Lim, Wilanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez and Lurix Lopez, who have all turned prosecution witnesses.