LARGE scale estafa suspects Michelle Lim Go-Chu and couple Lorenzo and Jerlyn Joyce Baltonado are now being monitored by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 8 (CIDG) after the court issued a warrant for their arrest.
Lawyer Armando Virgil Ligutan announced in a virtual press conference that the complainant, Kaiser Tan, offered P1.5 million reward to anybody who can give information that would lead to the suspects’ arrest.
Lieutenant Colonel Arwin Tadeo, officer-in-charge of CIDG 8, said Judge Ruben Fermin Atubar of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 29 based in Toledo City, midwest Cebu issued the arrest warrant with no bail allowed.
The CIDG 8 personnel immediately went to the house of Go-Chu in Ormoc City last May 16 to serve the warrant but she was not there.
They learned, however, that the suspects have not left the country as they checked the records of the Bureau of Immigration.
In line with this, the CIDG 8 is calling on the public to alert them if they have knowledge on the whereabouts of the suspects.
A warrant of arrest was first issued in RTC Toledo against Go-Chu on January 23, 2023 for large scale estafa case but the order was suspended by the court on February 14, 2023 because the case still needs to go through a preliminary investigation.
But after the re-investigation, it was found that there is probable cause to file a case against Go-Chu, which is why she was issued another arrest warrant on May 15, 2023.
Tan had accused Go-Chu and the Baltonado couple of defrauding him of almost P200 million in an alleged investment scam. Tan said 30 checks issued as payment all bounced. (AYB/TPT)