A fugitive former mayor in the Philippines, Alice Guo, having alleged links with Chinese criminal syndicates was arrested on Tuesday midnight, in Indonesia.
Deportation
Indonesia will deport the former mayor, Alice to the Philippines but is yet to fix the time of her return.
“(The timing) depends on the police investigation results,” Jakarta’s Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas, told Reuters.
He added that Guo was arrested along with a Chinese monk.
He further said that a former Chinese police officer helped her escape from the Philippines.
Confirmation Of Arrest
Manila’s Justice Ministry confirmed her arrest, in a statement on Wednesday.
Alice Guo, also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is wanted by the Philippine Senate for refusing to attend a congressional probe on her alleged criminal ties.
The department said that its counterparts in Immigration, confirmed that Ms Guo is currently in the custody of the Indonesian Police at Jatanras Mabes Polri
Guo was arrested close to midnight on Tuesday in Tangerang City in Jakarta, Indonesia, the department said.
Denial Of Charges
She has denied the accusations.
Alice insists that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen facing “malicious accusations”.
Action Taken By Law Enforcement Agencies
Philippine law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), recently filed multiple counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 others.
The AMLC has alleged that Guo and her co-conspirators laundered over 100 million pesos ($1.8 million) in proceeds from criminal activities.
No Comment From Guo’s Counsel
Lawyer Stephen David, Guo’s counsel on record, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The council also sought to forfeit six billion pesos worth of assets including properties, luxury vehicles and a helicopter that Guo and her associates allegedly accumulated
Removal From Office
Guo, who was recently removed from office by the local government ombudsman, has fled the country.
She traveled to Malaysia and Singapore last month.
She travelled to Indonesia this month using her Philippine passport, the Philippine anti-crime agency said.
Investigations By The Senate
The Senate began investigations in May after authorities raided a casino in Guo’s sleepy farming town of Bamban in March.
Guo’s case comes at a time of growing Philippine suspicion about China’s activities following an increasingly tense dispute over reefs and shoals in the busy waterway of the South China Sea.
Both nations have overlapping claims here.
(Inputs From Reuters)
