DH jailed 16 months for money laundering, 2 others await sentence

 

File photo from HK Monetary Authority

A domestic helper became the latest Filipina to be jailed for money laundering after she pleaded guilty at West Kowloon court Friday (Dec. 13).

Alma Natano, 36 years old, was jailed for 16 months after she admitted to dealing with a total of  $1,272,079.08 that flowed in and out of her Bank of China account from March 29 to April 18, 2021.

The offence violates the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance which imposes a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail and a $5 million fine. 

On Thursday, a District Court judge divulged that the Court of Appeals has recently adopted sentencing guidelines that raised the jail term for people found guilty of money laundering, due to the rising prevalence of the offence.

Two other DHs also pleaded guilty Friday at Kwun Tong Court and were detained until their sentencing which was put off pending a background review. 

Separately, the trial of another Filipina who pleaded not guilty at Eastern Court ended on the same day, with the verdict scheduled for Jan. 21 next year. 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi imposed a starting point of 24 months' jail on Natano, but gave her one-third discount for her guilty plea. 

In  Kwun Tong court,  Acting Principal Magistrate Leung Ka-kie put off the sentencing of Katrina Zafra and Antoneth Libaten to Dec. 27 for a background review.

“I need to get information on your background first,” Magistrate Leung said. 

The two Filipinas claimed they had lent their ATM cards to friends who asked for help, In mitigation, their long-time employers sent letters to the court, praising them for their honesty and diligence.

PINDUTIN DITO

Zafra and Libaten were detained in the meantime, along with Indonesian DH Sugiarti. Their bank accounts were found to have been used in dealing with money obtained from the same victim in a scam.

Their Chinese co-defendant Lui Shu-wa, was freed on $5,000 bail while her case was adjourned to Feb. 14 next year for further legal advice.

According to the information read out in court, Zafra, 40 years old, handled $539,294.72 through her Hang Seng Bank account, after she lent her ATM card to a certain Estella Corpus. Zafra was said to have been helped in the transaction by a certain Valentin Sunday.

In mitigation, her lawyer said Zafra has worked for the same employer since she arrived in Hong Kong in 2013, taking care of an elderly couple, 79 and 68 years old, and a dog. 

Her employer asked the court to be lenient to her, and vowed to ask the Immigration Department for authority to resume her employment after her release from prison.

Basahin ang detalye!

Libaten, 44 years old, handled $1,023,500 through deposits and withdrawals in her HSBC account from 8^th to 15^th of June 2021. She lent her ATM card to Sunday, who said he needed it to remit money to his family.

“She was only helping out,” her lawyer said to describe Libaten, who arrived in Hong Kong in 2009 and had been with one employer for 12 years before she was terminated because of this case.

Over at Eastern Court, Marjorie Tayaoa, 44 years old, went through trial after she pleaded not guilty to handling a total of 1,136, 868.02 using her Mox Bank account from July 20 to Aug. 1, 2023.

She was remanded in jail until Deputy Magistrate Paul Yip hands down his verdict on Jan. 21.