Bunny German ordered arrested on estafa raps

The Pasig City regional trial court (RTC) ordered the arrest of Josephine "Bunny" German, the principal suspect in the celebrated pyramid scam who was accused of gypping the mother of a city councilor of P9 million a number of years back.

Judge Pablito Rojas also said no bail bond privilege will be granted for German, the wife of Reli German, a former publicist of disgraced former President Joseph Estrada.

But Superintendent John Sosito, Pasig City police chief, failed to find German in her family residence at No. 5 Gen. Segundo St., Barangay San Antonio when he came to serve the arrest warrant.

Earlier, Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo issued a hold departure order against German after a number of complainants surfaced and accused her of large-scale estafa for her alleged "pyramid scam."

Rojas issued the arrest order based on the complaint of Milagros Lipana, the mother of Pasig City councilor Rene Lipana. The elder Lipana said she believed German is still in the country.

The victim said German, dropping the name of former first lady turned Sen. Luisa Ejercito, convinced her to invest on her non-existing business. Lipana said she invested P5 million. After several months, German showed up and returned her money plus the interest.

Several days later, the elder Lipana said she handed over to German another P8 million as her investment on a business venture. According to her, her computation showed that German would have to pay her more than P9 million after an agreed period.

However, when the period lapsed, the elder Lipana said German issued her a number of bouncing checks. – Non Alquitran