Philippines seeks money laundering charges against ex-mayor Alice Guo
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Alice Guo was an owner of a property that hosted online casino entities raided for allegedly carrying out internet scams and human trafficking.
PHOTO: SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES
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MANILA – Philippine prosecutors are seeking money laundering charges against a former town mayor over her alleged involvement in an online casino project.
Prosecutors have recommended the filing of 62 counts of money laundering against former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, according to a copy of a resolution from the Department of Justice released on Jan 15.
Guo was among the owners of a property that hosted online casino entities raided for carrying out internet scams and alleged human trafficking.
Separate charges are also being sought for 30 other individuals, including Guo’s associates, Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying
Guo’s involvement in the scheme “cannot be overemphasised”, according to the resolution. “She appears to be its brainchild and/or architect,” it added.
Guo’s legal counsel, Ms Nicole Jamilla, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ms Jamilla said in November 2024 that Guo was ready to belie “baseless” money laundering and human trafficking allegations.
The former mayor earlier pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of human trafficking.
Those named in the resolution, including Guo, “profited” from investment scams carried out in the Baofu online casino compound in Bamban, north of the capital, Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano told reporters.
“That’s how they made money and they used that money to buy many assets,” he said, adding that prosecutors are expected to file charges in court soon.
The National Bureau of Investigation, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission in August 2024 filed complaints against Guo along with other individuals “alleged to have been involved in a complex scheme of money laundering linked to the crimes of ‘estafa’, qualified trafficking in person”.
The council also sought to forfeit assets valued at more than six billion pesos (S$140.4 million) that it said were “accumulated by Guo and her associates through their unlawful activities”. BLOOMBERG
