Philippine prosecutors are recommending money laundering charges against former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, alleging her involvement in a large-scale online casino operation linked to internet scams and human trafficking, Bloomberg reports.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) released a resolution on Wednesday recommending the filing of 62 counts of money laundering against Guo.
The charges stem from investigations into properties owned by Guo that hosted online casino entities accused of carrying out internet scams and engaging in alleged human trafficking. According to the DOJ resolution, Guo’s involvement in the scheme “cannot be overemphasized,” saying she “appears to be its brainchild and/or architect.”
Prosecutors are also seeking separate charges against 30 other individuals, including Guo’s associates Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, both of whom were convicted in Singapore’s largest money laundering case.
“Those named in the resolution, including Guo, ‘profited’ from investment scams carried out in the Baofu online casino compound in Bamban,” Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano told reporters. “That’s how they made money, and they used that money to buy many assets.” He added that prosecutors are expected to file charges in court soon.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) jointly filed complaints in August against Guo and others, alleging their involvement in a “complex scheme of money laundering linked to the crimes of estafa (fraud) and qualified trafficking in persons.”
The AMLC is also seeking to forfeit assets valued at over 6 billion pesos (some $102 million) that it believes were “accumulated by Guo and her associates through their unlawful activities.”
Guo’s legal counsel, Nicole Jamilla, has not yet responded to requests for comment. However, she said in November that Guo was prepared to refute the “baseless” money laundering and human trafficking allegations. Guo has previously pleaded not guilty to separate charges of human trafficking.
