The United States Justice Department accused Janet Lim Napoles and five of her family members of being involved in a “domestic and international money laundering and conspiracy for multi-year bribery and fraud scheme.”
In a statement released on July 31, Tuesday, the federal jury alleged that Janet Lim Napoles, Jo Christine Napoles, James Christopher Napoles, Jeane Napoles, Reynald Lim and Ana Lim have transacted in and out of the US an amount of around $20 million.
This money, according to the US Justice Department., was accumulated by the offenders “through a multi-year bribery and fraud scheme in Philippine public funds.” These funds were intended to assist Filipinos suffering in poverty.
“The defendants fraudulently converted money from a lump-sum discretionary “Priority Development Assistance Fund” granted to each member of the Philippines Congress as well as other government funds designed to benefit poor Filipinos,” the statement read.
The US Justice Dept. said that Napoles, together with other 20 Philippine legislators, who were not included in the US indictments, have “converted to their own benefit hundreds of millions of dollars in Philippine public funds” and used it to “purchase assets, including real property and luxury vehicles” in the U.S.
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 08/ 01 /18)