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CA upholds Maia Deguito's money laundering conviction over Bangladesh bank heist

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/01/28/20160519-maia-deguito-jc.jpg"/><figcaption>RCBC Jupiter Branch manager Maia Deguito answers questions during a 2016 senate investigation on the $81M Bangladesh central bank heist. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Court of Appeals First Division has denied the appeal by former RCBC bank manager Maia Santos Deguito to reverse her conviction for money laundering in connection with the $81-million cyber heist on Bangladesh&#x27;s central bank in 2016.</p><p>The CA said the appeal is dismissed, upholding the joint decision dated January 10, 2019 and the resolution dated September 20, 2019 of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 149 finding Deguito guilty for 8 counts of Section 4 (f) of R.A. No. 9160, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act.</p><p>The CA decision was promulgated February 6, 2023 but was released Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;In light of the above conclusions, there is no doubt that the prosecution was able to prove that Deguito is guilty of eight (8) counts of violation of Section 4 (f) of R.A. No. 9160, as amended. Thus, the Court finds no need to further discuss the other issues raised by the parties,&quot; the CA added.</p><div><a class="embedly-card" data-card-controls="0" href="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/19/maia-deguito.pdf">Card</a> <script async="" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" charSet="UTF-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Hackers penetrated Bangladesh Bank in February 2016 and sent fraudulent requests for nearly $1 billion from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, mostly intended for accounts in the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.</p><p>Many of the transfer orders were blocked or reversed by the US central bank and intermediary banks, but $81 million made it to accounts in fake names at RCBC. Most of the funds then disappeared into Manila&#x27;s loosely regulated casino industry.</p><p>In January 2019, Deguito was found guilty of money laundering in connection with the $81-million cyber heist. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/10/19/ex-rcbc-manager-deguito-found-guilty-of-money-laundering">Ex-RCBC manager Deguito found guilty of money laundering</a></li></ul><p>She was sentenced to 4 to 7 years in prison for each of the 8 counts of money laundering by the Makati Regional Trial Court, over a year after she was indicted by state prosecutors. She was fined a total of $109 million.</p><p>Deguito was the manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp branch where a portion of the $81 million that was stolen by unknown hackers from the Bangladesh Bank was deposited in accounts under fictitious names, based on the Department of Justice investigation.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/08/17/ex-rcbc-manager-faces-dirty-money-rap-over-bangladesh-caper">Ex-RCBC manager faces dirty money rap over Bangladesh caper</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/10/19/scapegoat-ex-rcbc-manager-maintained-innocence-before-dirty-money-verdict">&#x27;Scapegoat&#x27;: Ex-RCBC manager maintained innocence before dirty money verdict</a></li></ul>

The Court of Appeals First Division has denied the appeal by former RCBC bank manager Maia Santos Deguito to reverse her conviction for money laundering in connection with the $81-million cyber heist on Bangladesh's central bank in 2016.