|
President Gloria Macapagal-Arro-yo has directed the Presidential Commission on Good Govern-ment (PCGG), with the assistance of the Department of Justice, to double its efforts in pursuing the recovery of the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.
PCGG Commissioner and Officer-in-Charge Jorge Sarmiento gave assurance that he was intensifying the activities of the PCGG, including the investigation of the reported $13.2 billion Swiss bank deposit of Irene Marcos-Araneta, which she allegedly tried to transfer from the Union Bank of Switzerland to the Deutsche Bank in Germany last February.
The search for the ill-gotten wealth of the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos, his family and their business associates, has been pursued under the Federal Act on International Mutual Assistance on Criminal Cases (IMACC) of Switzerland. Jacobi is a liar, says Bongbong Marcos.
Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said Australian treasure hunter Reiner Jacobi was a liar.
"Jacobi made up the story to mislead the public," said the young Marcos, adding there is no truth to the report that his sister Irene Marcos-Araneta has $13.2 billion in a Swiss account, which she allegedly attempted to transfer from the Union Bank of Switzerland to a new account in a Deutsche Bank branch in Germany.
The Marcos family is now ready to forge a compromise deal with the government to put an end to the issue on Marcos wealth, the young Marcos said. The PCGG came out with a complete report on the success of its recovery of Marcos wealth, some of which was given up by former business associates in exchange for immunity.
The government has repatriated the Marcos deposits in Switzerland totaling $640 million (P30.816 bn) now held in escrow with the Philippine National Bank (PNB). The government has obtained favourable action on the recovery of Swiss deposits of spouses Benjamin and Juliette Romualdez and the late Roman Cruz amounting to $4.9 million and $354,720, respectively, which are held in escrow with PNB.
|
