Then Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista answers questions as he emerges from the commission's en Banc meeting in Manila on Tuesday. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News File photo

MIAMI, United States (UPDATE) — The former chairman of the Philippines election commission was indicted by a US federal grand jury in Florida on Thursday for allegedly taking bribes from a company that provided voting machines for the country's 2016 elections.

Andres "Andy" Bautista, 60, faces one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Three executives of the voting machine company were also indicted for their roles in an "alleged bribery and money laundering scheme to retain and obtain business related to the 2016 Philippine elections," it said.

The Justice Department did not identify the company but one of the three indicted executives is Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, 49, a Venezuelan citizen and Florida resident who is a co-founder of Smartmatic.

The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2018, Pinate, Jorge Miguel Vasquez, 62, and others "caused at least $1 million in bribes to be paid" to Bautista.

Pinate and Vasquez are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Like Bautista, Pinate, Vasquez, and Elie Moreno, 44, a dual citizen of Venezuela and Israel, are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.

The Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) banned Smartmatic last year from bidding on election contracts.

In a statement following the US DOJ decision, Comelec chairman George Garcia said it was a "vindication" for the poll body.

"It would appear to be a sort of vindication on the part of the present Commission. We were right along when we disqualified Smartmatic," Garcia told ABS-CBN News.

"However, let's presume everyone innocent until the guilt is proved by the Court," he added.

Bautista, who headed the election commission from 2015 to 2017, awarded Smartmatic a $199 million contract to supply the Philippines with 94,000 voting machines for the 2016 presidential election won by former leader Rodrigo Duterte.

He has denied any wrongdoing, writing on X that he "did not ask for nor receive any bribe money from Smartmatic or any other entity."

The Justice Department and US Attorney's Office did not respond to a query from AFP as to whether Bautista is in US custody.

BAUTISTA, SMARTMATIC RESPOND

In a statement on his X account, Bautista vowed to clear his name as he alleged that "key Philippine officials" are behind the cases.

"I will fight for my exoneration in court and show that I have not committed any crime against the US government or the American people nor have I taken advantage or prejudiced them in any way," he said.

"I sense these charges were politically influenced by key Philippine officials," Bautista added.

Smartmatic also issued a statement Friday, along with a clarification only 2 of their employees are respondents in the case since Velasquez "has ceased to be part of Smartmatic since several years ago."

The firm said their 2 executives have been "placed on leaves of absence."

"Smartmatic has learned that two of our employees have been indicted for alleged violations of the FCPA in the Philippines almost 10 years ago. Regardless of the veracity of the allegations and while our accused employees remain innocent until proven guilty, we have placed both employees on leaves of absence, effective immediately," the company said.

"No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted. Voters worldwide must be assured that the elections they participate in are conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency. These are the values that Smartmatic lives," Smartmatic added. —With a report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News and Agence France-Presse