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| Free again! Elmer Martinez, Eric Jude Soliman and Elmer Soliman with a friend (in pink shirt) after retrieving their belongings from Central Police station |
By Vir B. Lumicao
Three Filipino male tourists earlier accused in Eastern
Court of trying to pass off a fake US$5billion bank draft as genuine were
released on Tuesday afternoon after the prosecution withdrew its case against
them for insufficient evidence.
But Magistrate Peter Law, saying he suspected a money
laundering attempt, rejected the application of the lawyer for defendants Elmer
Soliman, 57, and his son Eric Jude Soliman, 31, for “substantial” court costs
as a result of the botched case.
Undeterred, the older Soliman told The SUN they were
thinking of filing a claim for damages .
“Sinabi ng abogado namin, he will pursue” (the case), he
said.
The father and son as well as the third defendant, Eliseo
Martinez, 43, a municipal lawyer in Victoria, Tarlac, walked free around 2pm
from the courthouse in Sai Wan Ho and went straight to the Immigration offices
in Wanchai to apply for a visitor’s visa.
But the Immigration officer who attended to them gave them
only until Sept 20, or two days, to remain in Hong Kong .
The officer also handed each of them a document that they have to give to the
Immigration officer at the airport when they leave for home.
His wife, who was due to arrive in Hong
Kong on Sept 19, reportedly cried in relief when told of her
husband’s release in a phone call with his fellow Freemason Pieter Nootenboom.
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| The 3 accused with supporter and friend Pieter Nootenboom take a break after clearing Immigration |
In court, the prosecutor told Magistrate Law that she was
withdrawing the charge of “using a false instrument” against all three
defendants due to insufficient evidence.
She acknowledged that the defendants went to HSBC in Central
on June 25 merely to verify whether the bank draft in question was genuine.
All three were arrested by the police after they handed over
the bank draft at the service counter.
After the case was withdrawn, the defense lawyer said he was
asking for costs for the Solimans.
“The defendants were at the bank merely to verify whether
the bank draft was genuine,” he said.
But Law rejected the application, saying the case also involved
money laundering.
“When you go to the bank with a huge amount, in this case
five thousand million US dollars, that is money laundering,” Law said.
Outside court, the elder Soliman said the charge that he was
trying to open a bank account to deposit the bank draft was not true.
“We were not there to open an account. It was the bank staff
who told that to the police,” he said.
He said he and his son would just rest overnight and decide
by tomorrow if they will pursue the civil case.
