A Filipina’s defense that she did not open -- much less control -- two bank accounts that were subsequently used to launder more than $2.2 millon, failed to convince the Eastern Court today to acquit her, resulting in her being jailed for 22 months.
Annaliza Talay, 48 years old, was actually sentenced to two jail terms of 22
months each, one for laundering $1,746,610.41 of "dirty" money in her account at Mox
Bank between 19 and 28 March 2023, and another $478,121.52 between 19 and 27 March
2023 in her account at ZA Bank.
But Deputy Magistrate Chung Wing-sze ordered that the two sentences
run at the same time, thus the final sentence of 22 months.
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Her conviction was for dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
In her verdict, Magistrate Chung described as “incredible and
illogical” Talay’s testimony that she had never had any bank account in her
life, having arrived in Hong Kong in 2019 to work as a domestic helper and worked
in Singapore before that.
She also gave little weight to Talay’s testimony that it all
began when she tried to borrow money from a friend, who referred her to a
certain Ruby, who in turn promised to give her $500 if she registered for online
gaming, using her Hong Kong ID.
Talay testified that she was convinced that the registration
was legit when she saw six other persons who had fallen in line to register.
The Chinese male who received her took pictures of her HKID
and even asked to reshoot her face because earlier authentication shots did not
meet the standards set by the purported gaming company.
After the online gaming registration, which turned out to be
the opening of her accounts with Mox Bank and ZA Bank, Ruby gave her only $300,
Talay had testified.
While she was not operating the accounts, she allowed others
to operate them, Magistrate Chung said.
