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| The District Court in Wanchai |
A Filipina domestic helper pleaded guilty today at the District Court to three counts of money laundering involving $4.67 million, averting a trial that was originally set for four days.
Lilian Amasula, 52 years old, was remanded in jail until Aug. 20 for mitigation, where her lawyer will be allowed to cite reasons for Judge A. N. Tse Ching to temper the sentence he will hand down.
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Amasula first appeared at the District Court on March 13,
after Eastern Court Principal Magistrate Don So elevated the case.
She was charged in the three cases with dealing with
propetty known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence,
contrary to section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinancе.
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In the first charge, Amasula is accused of conspiring with a
person known as “Maribeth Sebastian” of laundering a total of $2,026,373.31 in Amasula's Standard Chartered Bank account, between Apr. 2 and 17, 2023.
In the second charge, Amasula and Sebastian are accused of
laundering a total of $2,185,037.06 in Amasula's Mox Bank Limited account, between Apr
2 and 26, 2023.
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| Press for details |
In the third charge, Amasula and Sebastian are again accused
of laundering a total of $465,206.79 in Amasula's account with the Hong Kong and
Shanghai Banking Ltd. between the 2nd and 12th of April 2023.
The two accused are charged with “knowing or having
reasonable grounds to believe that the sums involved, “in whole or in part,
directly or indirectly” represented proceeds of an indictable offence, as provided by section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinancе.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
The Ordinancе also provides that a person who commits an
offense under subsection (1) is liable—
(a) on conviction upon indictment to a fine of $5,000,000
and to imprisonment for 14 years; or
(b) on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 and to
imprisonment for 3 years.
