Police: CM did not block fugitive’s deportation

Contrary to the reports from Manila, Sabah police say that Chief Minister Musa Aman did not stop the deportation of a fugitive conman from the Philippines.

PETALING JAYA: Reports in Manila claim that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman had blocked the deportation of a conman wanted by the Philippine police but Malaysian police claim otherwise.

Philippine Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas was quoted as saying that the deportation of the country’s most wanted conman was stopped by Musa, who has been facing a series of allegations of late.

The suspect, Manuel Karingal Amalillo (seated third from left), who operated a company Aman Futures Group, had claimed to be a nephew of Musa and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman in courting his victims.

He had lured thousands of Filipino investors into his investment scheme offering 67% in returns.

Amalillo fled the Philippines for Sabah in November after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III ordered his arrest.

More than 15,000 investors were cheated of around 12 billion pesos (RM895 million) in his scam.

Amalillo, also known as Mohammad Suffian Syed in Malaysia, was arrested in Ranau, Sabah, last Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sabah police chief Comm Hamza Taib dismissed the reports that Musa blocked the deportation.

“It was my decision [to stop the move to send him back last Thursday] as we have to follow proper procedures to deport anyone,” he was quoted as saying in The Star.

“We have nothing against deporting the man but [to date] there has been no request for his deportation by the Philippines,” he added.

Hamza also said that Amalillo’s arrest had nothing to do with the scam in the Philippines.

He said Amalillo was held over identity issues and that investigations were being carried out for offences under Section 12(1) D of the Passport Act 1966 that provides for a maximum fine of RM10,000 or five years’ jail or both.

“We found him in possession of a suspected fake Philippine passport. We are now trying to establish his true citizenship,” he said.

Hamza, who confirmed that the suspect had no family relationship with Musa’s family, said any deportation should follow the required laws as this would help strengthen and create harmonious relations between the police force of both countries.

President’s sister also a victim

It is learnt that the money which Amalillo allegedly embezzled through Aman Future Group is in the hands of eight of his cousins.

The scheme was also said to have resulted in the deaths of scores of its agents at the hands of enraged victims, while some investors committed suicide.

According to reports, victims of the scheme included the Phillipines president’s sister Kris Aquino and senior government officers were among thousands who suffered losses.

Reports also said that 25 people from the same family lost a total of 150 million pesos.

The single biggest investor was a woman who pumped in 31 million pesos, according to a statement issued by Barakah Trading and Twin Khan Trading, two companies authorised by the Aman Group to collect money from the investors. The two companies invested 418,447,440 million pesos, or about RM30 million.

A group of senior officials of Twin Khan Trading are reportedly in Kota Kinabalu to liase with those involved.

Meanwhile, a family friend who claims to have known Amalillo personally since his youth, said the latter was born and raised in Kampung Bingkul, Beaufort, Sabah. His father Haji Said Abdullah is an Indian Muslim from Kuala Lumpur.

Both parents were said to have migrated to Australia back in the early 1980s, leaving their son behind to live with his uncle in Beaufort.