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| Police diagram of how money laundering is committed by scammers |
A Filipina domestic helper who claims to have merely sent a copy of her Hong Kong identity card to an acquaintance who has since disappeared, has found herself facing a charge of laundering a total of $3.75million through her Standard Chartered bank account.
Ma. Rochel M. Fuentes, 36, appeared at the District
Court on Thursday, September 12, to face an amended charge of “dealing with
property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence”.
According to the charge amended on Aug. 15 this year,
she laundered a total sum of $3,758,465.59 from Apr 1-17, 2023 through her
Standard Chartered Bank account numbered 978-8-718887-1.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Justice Justin Ko King-san adjourned the case to
November 26 and ordered Fuentes returned to jail.
Previously, the amount Fuentes had allegedly
laundered using the same account from Apr 2-4 of the same year totaled $666,300,
which was why she was first charged at the Eastern Magistracy.
Magistracies have jurisdiction over less serious cases,
and ordinarily impose prison terms of no more than two years.
The District Court, on the other hand, hears all serious
cases except murder, manslaughter, rape and dangerous drug cases where large
quantities of dangerous drugs have been seized, and can impose a sentence of up
to seven years.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
The charge of money laundering, which is contrary to
section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, is
punishable with a maximum prison term of 14 years and up to $5 million fine.
Fuentes was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport
last January 26, as she was about to board a flight to Manila.
She told friends and family members she was going
home to wait for her new employment visa after her previous employer for whom
she had worked for 20 months, terminated their contract due to redundancy.
After her arrest, she told the police she was not
the one who opened the Standard Chartered bank account. She said she only had
an account and an attached ATM at Philippine National Bank.
Fuentes said an acquaintance asked her for copies of
her HKID card in exchange for $410. After she received the money, this unknown
person blocked her on Facebook.
Despite the lengthy prison sentence she now faces following
the transfer of her case to the District Court, Fuentes reiterated her desire
to plead guilty to the charge, hoping this would reduce the time she would
spend behind bars.
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| Pindutin dito para sa iba pang mga detalye |
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