House panel to probe alleged Aman Futures scam
A committee at the House of Representatives will launch a probe this week on the alleged multi-billion peso investment scam supposedly perpetrated by the Aman Futures Group.
Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol, chairperson of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries, said his panel has scheduled an inquiry into the alleged pyramiding scam on Tuesday morning.
“We will be concentrating on the alleged scam in relation to possible violations of various laws such as the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Securities Regulation Code,” Apostol said in a phone interview Sunday.
The congressional inquiry stems from a resolution filed by Abante Mindanao party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. seeking to find out how the Aman Futures Group supposedly managed to dupe some 15,000 investors from the Visayas and Mindanao and divest them of some P12 billion.
Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) began preliminary investigations into the alleged scam after several victims filed estafa complaints against Aman's heads.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed separate charges against Aman for alleged fraudulent transactions.
Possible amendments
Apostol explained that the House probe will be different from the DOJ investigation on the alleged scam, which he said is “criminal” in nature.
“My committee’s investigation will be in aid of legislation. Therefore, we will try to find out if some of our laws need to be amended to prevent a similar scam from happening in the future,” the lawmaker said, specifying Republic Act 7653 (The New Central Bank Act), Republic Act 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act), and Republic Act 8799 (The Securities Regulation Code).
Apostol added that some of the witnesses in the DOJ probe may be invited to the House inquiry on Tuesday. — BM, GMA News
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