Graft probe seeks Duterte accounts
The Philippine central bank's money laundering watchdog said yesterday it had received a request from a special anti-corruption prosecutor to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte's finances.
A senator had asked the special prosecutor last year to file charges against then-presidential candidate Duterte, accusing him of having bank deposits worth 211 million pesos ($4.1 million) and failing to disclose it as required by law.
Duterte, who later won a landslide victory in the elections, has denied the allegations.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said in a statement yesterday it received a request from the ombudsman in early September to initiate an investigation.
The council said the request concerned information provided by Senator Antonio Trillanes to the ombudsman "regarding the alleged bank accounts of President Rodrigo Duterte".
"We have yet to evaluate the request, and the initiation of an investigation, as well as the release of any report on the subject will depend on such evaluation," the AMLC added.
The Philippines has a strict bank secrecy law and only the courts, as well as the AMLC, are allowed to obtain account details for the purpose of criminal investigations or court trials.
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