Casino Junket execs want due process in fraud cases

Cordi folks ‘defrauded’ of billions 

By Aldwin Quitasol

BAGUIO CITY— Casino junket group “Team Z,” earlier blamed by “investors” and “account managers” to have carted away “investments” claimed to have reached a few billion pesos, said it wants the “plain truth” behind fraud complaints flooding the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cordillera against them since last week.
    “Team Z” leaders Hector Aldwin Liao Pantollana, his brother Hubert Amiel, brothers Hazen and Hein Carreon Humilde, Mikaela Damasco Ty-Choi, Virginio Casupanan said the allegation against them were “unfair and have no verifiable evidence.”
    “We would like to clarify that the money of the alleged complainants were not pocketed as alleged by some of them.
    They added they wanted to find out where the alleged money went by way of paper trail, including who got or received the sums, and who benefitted from the alleged transactions.
    Earlier last week, a complainant said Pantollana and his Team Z leaders duped them into believing that they would continue receiving their 5 percent monthly “returns of investment” and 2 percent more for those who convinced others to invest  purportedly meant for casino junket financing in Parañaque.
    Complainants claimed, although they were initially receiving their monthly payouts, it did not last long as the hundreds of millions of investments collected from the Baguio City investors were pocketed and did not get re-invested into casino junket financing.     Complainants further claimed “investors” are issued investment contracts disguised as contracts of loan locked in for a period of 12 months.
    The accused however complained that it was “unfair, unfounded and unjust” for some complainants to make sweeping allegations they were operating a scheme to defraud individuals. 
    The team Z leaders said in the interest of due process, they have yet to see the documents relative to these alleged complaints.
    “We will certainly face the issues being thrown at us in the proper forum,” while urging the public to take the opportunity “to look at the other side of the coin,” they said.