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Case vs owner of defunct remittance center dismissed
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Posted on May 27 2012
The federal court has dismissed the case against the owner of a defunct remittance center who was charged with conspiracy to defraud a Philippine bank.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona dismissed without prejudice the indictment against Haydn Villegas.
Manglona issued the order last week after the U.S. government and Villegas both agreed to dismiss the indictment.
Dismissal without prejudice means the plaintiff is allowed to re-file a new suit on the same claim in the future.
Assistant U.S. attorney Rami S. Badawy told the court that issues have arisen that call into question whether the government can prove its case against Villegas beyond reasonable doubt.
Badawy said Villegas and his counsel, Timothy H. Bellas, agreed with this motion to dismiss the case.
Villegas, through counsel Timothy H. Bellas, earlier stated that neither he nor his wife, Ana Maria V. Villegas, were aware that co-defendant Armilaine Salamat was falsifying their company’s books.
Ms. Villegas did not request Salamat to do so, nor did she request Salamat to illegally wire the money, said Bellas.
Salamat used to serve as manager of PNB Express, which was then a subsidiary of Philippine National Bank.
In June 2010, Salamat pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. She is currently awaiting her sentencing.
Mr. Villegas was the co-owner of the defunct Philippine Express Remittance who allegedly defrauded the Philippine National Bank of about $109,855. The Villegas couple pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
