MANILA – Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam whistleblower Benhur Luy on Thursday said he sent government funds to US accounts of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who was recently indicted in California for international and domestic money laundering. Luy made the statement during the graft trial of Napoles and former Senator Bong Revilla at the Sandiganbayan 1st Division in connection with the fund diversion scheme. Luy narrated that public funds from Revilla’s PDAF supposedly went to implementing agencies while some were sent to the US. “Pinapa-telegraphic po namin sa US sa kaniyang accounts,” Luy said during his testimony. (We have [the money] wired to her accounts in the US.) Napoles, as well as her 3 children, brother and sister-in-law, were indicted Tuesday by the US Attorney’s Office in California for supposedly funneling in and out of the US approximately $20 million through a multi-year bribery and fraud scheme in connection with the PDAF scam. DOJ working with US counterpart on Napoles’ $20-million money laundering case Luy refused to comment when asked by reporters if he is ready for a possible testimony in the US with his latest revelations. “No comment, hindi ako (I am not) allowed to speak anything about that,” Luy said. Pressed further, Luy said he is focusing on testifying in cases at the Sandigandayan: 5 plunder cases and several other graft charges involving Napoles and lawmakers. “I’m concentrating on the, sa pag-testify ko sa (my testimony in) court,” Luy said. Lawyers from the prosecution and the defense… [Read full story]
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