Aman Futures head to be flown back Friday

MANILA -- Four agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are in Malaysia Thursday to fetch investment scam leader Manuel Amalilio in a detention facility and bring him back to the Philippines to face his multi-million peso syndicated estafa cases.

Amalilio, founder of the ill-fated Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc., will then be detained at the NBI headquarters in Manila upon his return on Friday from Kota Kinabalu, said NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas.

"They (agents) are coordinating with our Philippine Embassy as well as the Malaysian government. We are hopeful, that, as anticipated, Amalilio will be turned over to us," he told reporters after briefing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Amalilio's arrest.

Television reports said Amalilio was spotted by irate Aman investors and tipped the Malaysian authorities, who have a copy of the warrant of arrest released two weeks ago by the Pagadian City Regional Trial Court branch 20.

De Lima, however, said Amalilio was nabbed for possession of a fake Malaysian passport and identification cards.

Also charged with syndicated estafa were Fernando Luna, Nimfa Luna, Lelian Lim Gan, Eduardo Lim, Wilanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez and Lurix Lopez, Dhurwen Wenceslao and Dona Coyme.

All of them are currently under NBI custody.

Aman allegedly took away P12 billion from estimated 15,000 individuals, mostly from Pagadian City, making it the largest investment scam so far in the Philippines. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)