The former manager of the Jupiter Street branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) supposedly involved in the $81-million Bangladesh Bank fund heist was released by the Makati police early on Thursday.
Maia Deguito was released at 1:15 a.m. after posting bail of P6,000 for her purjury charge, The Iquirer reports.
Despite the order of Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court Judge Remibiel Mondia for Deguito to be released at 11 p.m., she had to spend the night at the detention cell at Makati police headquarters.
Her counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio told reporters on Wednesday night that copies of the information and fiscal resolution were needed to be secured.
Deguito was arrested by Makati police at 4:45 p.m. at Power Plant mall in Barangay Poblacion in Makati City for perjury, filed by Judge Eduardo Cruz Solangon Jr. of Pasay MTC Branch 45.
Topacio said he was surprised that Deguito was arrested “in connection with a case we have never heard about until tonight, the investigation of which we have never been notified.”
“We will explore all legal avenues to make all [those]responsible for this travesty of justice accountable by filing criminal and administrative charges to the Pasay City prosecution office, if warranted that [Deguito’s] constitutional rights were violated,” Topacio said.
They would also file the case with the Commission on Human Rights, he said.
Deguito was sacked by RCBC because the branch she headed processed the withdrawals of $81 million stolen via electronic heist from the New York account of the Bangladesh central bank months ago.
She had testified before a Senate inquiry that the $81 million had been withdrawn when she received a stop payment order from the bank’s headquarters.
RCBC president Lorenzo Tan filed a P32-M libel suit against Deguito for “scurrilous remarks” dragging him in the multibillion dollar cyberheist.
