ShareThisMANILA — The United States government has turned over US$ 132,000 to the Philippine government from the first-ever forfeiture case against former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller, retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife, Erlinda.
Mr. & Mrs. Ligot
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. made the turnover to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima, saying the first-ever turn-over of the US$ 132,000 to the Philippine government was a result of the 2009 quest for the real estate transaction and assets belonging to the wife of the former AFP comptroller.
Thomas said the turnover of funds from the real estate properties of the Ligot couple was made possible through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MULAT) between the United States government and the Philippine government.
He added that the turnover of the US$ 132,000 to the Bureau of Treasury (BT) of the Philippine government will redound to the benefit of the Filipino people.
The Ligot couple are facing tax evasion charges filed against them by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) before the DOJ for their alleged failure to file their Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for taxable years 2001-2004 amounting to P480 million.
During the recent Senate investigation in aid-of-legislation conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, it was discovered that some P740 million were deposited to and later withdrawn from the accounts of the Ligot couple.