Three others ordered indicted over P50-million extort plot
(Eagle News) — The Ombudsman has ordered the filing of a plunder complaint against former Immigration commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles over what the anti-graft body said was their extortion of P50 million from Chinese businessman Jack Lam in 2016.
This was despite the Department of Justice’s earlier disclosure that the P50 million, which was supposedly in exchange for the release of Lam’s 1316 workers who were earlier arrested for violating immigration laws, and which was recovered as evidence against Argosino and Robles lacked P1000.
Senator Franklin Drilon said that this meant that the two could evade a plunder complaint, as the threshold for the offense was P50 million.
“While the amount returned by Argosino to the (DOJ) lacks P1000, it cannot excuse them from being indicted for plunder since they failed to controvert by clear and convincing evidence, the claims of Norman Ng and Alex Yu (Lam’s business associates) that money amounting to P50 million changed hands at the City of Dreams in the City of Manila,” the Ombudsman said.
It said this was “aside from Robles’ admission that ‘they took possession of all five bags containing the P50 million.'”
In ordering their indictment also for direct bribery and for violation of section 3 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and for two counts for violation of PD 46, the Ombudsman gave no credence to Argosino’s and Robles’ argument that they merely took custody of the money for safekeeping and as evidence in an ongoing investigation into illegal online gambling activities.
According to the Ombudsman, “their failure to immediately report to the proper investigating authority, or at the very least, their superiors, (Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre) and (Commissioner Jaime Morente) that they had custody of the P50 million contradicts their professed intentions.”
The anti-graft body added that Argosino’s and Robles’ acts of “giving P2 million to (Wenceslao Sombero), keeping the remaining money with them from 27 November 2016 to 8 December 2016 instead of turning over the same to the proper authorities for safekeeping, and negotiating with, agreeing to give and actually delivering P18 million to (immigration intelligence chief Charles) Calima on 9 December 2018 as his share in the P50 million, are all acts of ownership, which showed that they treated the P50 million that they received as their own.”
Also ordered indicted for plunder and for direct bribery and violation of section 3 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act was Sombero, who the Ombudsman said was found to have facilitated the deal between the two former commissioners and the businessman, and was therefore a “conspirator” and a “middleman.”
It added that the “indispensable role and representation” of Sombero, who was president of the Asian Gaming Service Providers Association Inc. at that time, “paved the way for the consummation of the transaction.”
Calima, whom the Ombudsman said received P18 million from Argosino and Robles in exchange for his silence, was also ordered indicted for direct bribery and for violation of Section 2 of RA 3019.
Lam will be charged with one count of violation of PD 46 for giving the P50 million to the said officials, the Ombudsman said.
