RCBC files falsification raps versus Deguito

The Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) on Wednesday filed  charges against former Jupiter branch officials for allegedly faking bank documents in the scheme to launder $81 million that hackers stole from the Bangladeshi government's bank account in New York.

In a phone interview, GMA News Online learned from RCBC management that the bank has filed falsification of documents complaints against sacked Jupiter Street branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito and senior customer relations officer (SCRO) Angela Ruth Torres in connection with the bank accounts under the name of businessman William So Go.

Deguito was the branch manager from October 7, 2013 to March 22, 2016, and Torres was the SCRO from July 16, 2014 to March 22, 2016.

“Based on its findings, Truth Verifier (a handwriting verification company) concluded that the signatures appearing on the CRFs (Customer Relationship Forms) for the peso and dollar accounts (of businessman William So Go) were ‘simulated forgeries,’” the complaint read.

Go has denied owning the accounts that at one time allegedly held $66 million believed to be part of the funds stolen from the Bangladesh Central Bank's deposits with the US Federal Reserve.

He has since filed his own criminal complaints before the Makati City Prosecutor's Office against Deguito and another Jupiter branch officer Angela Torres.

To recall, RCBC terminated the employment of Deguito and Jupiter branch senior customer relations Torres last week, March 22, after both officers were found to have been involved in the laundering scheme.

“RCBC has terminated Maia Deguito and Angela Torres, the top two officials of the bank’s Jupiter branch, for violating bank policies and procedure and falsification of commercial documents,” the Yuchengco-led company said in an earlier statement.

“Appropriate charges in court will be filed by the bank against Deguito and Torres by next week,” it added.

Aside from the falsification complaints filed against her by the bank and Go, Deguito is also facing criminal charges in line with a joint complaint affidavit filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for violating the Anti-Money Laundering Act. —NB/VDS, GMA News