Philippine court convicts bank employee in Bangladesh bank heist

The Makati Regional Trial Court in Metro Manila has sentenced a bank employee, involved in what is known as the Bangladesh bank heist of 2016, to four to seven years in prison.

Judge Cesar Untalan found Maia Santos-Deguito guilty of money laundering, in her capacity as manager of a branch of the bank RCBC, which received about $81 million in stolen funds, which were then channeled into Philippine casinos.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted the decision as saying that Deguito “was able to prepare, beforehand, for these remittances in crystal clear violation of the AMLA [Anti-Money Laundering Act]… Accused Deguito has taken advantage of her position in the bank and her banking knowledge and experience, hence accused Deguito was able to execute and implement these illegal transactions with ease.”

According to news outlet Rappler, the court ruling only indicated that Deguito had knowledge of the transfer of stolen funds—the origin of which has still not been made clear—but not that she herself was a recipient.