Jeane Napoles back in PHL from Indonesia, DOJ Sec. Guevarra confirms

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed on Saturday that Jeane Catherine Napoles, daughter of pork barrel scam suspect Janet Lim-Napoles, arrived in the Philippines on Friday.

"She flew back yesterday from Denpasar, Indonesia via Zest Air," Guevarra said.

In a statement on Saturday, Jeane's legal counsel, Ian Encarnacion, confirmed that his client indeed left the country but has just returned on Friday, August 3, the same day news of her departure came out in the media.

Encarnacion said Jeane arrived in the country at 3:35 a.m. "I personally fetched her at the [Ninoy Aquino International Airport]," the lawyer said.

He assured the public his client was ready to face the cases lodged not only in the Philippines but also those in the US for money laundering by supposedly funneling some $20 million in Philippine public funds in and out of the US through a “multi-year bribery and fraud scheme.”

"She is here in the Philippines and she will face all the cases against her, both here and abroad.  We maintain our client's innocence and we look forward to having these cases dismissed," Encarnacion said.

Jeane is facing a case for graft in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam.

She earlier faced a P17.5-million tax evasion case filed against her by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the pieces of properties in the United States and Philippines under her name.

Due to her non-payment, her liability has ballooned to P32 million, inclusive of interest. The case was dismissed last year.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice said Jeane, her sister Jo Christine, their mother Janet, Jo Christine's husband James Christopher; Janet's brother Reynald Luy Lim, and his wife Ana Marie, have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, domestic money laundering, and international money laundering. —KG, GMA News