Philippines Targets Ex-Wirecard COO

The Wirecard scandal continues to unravel as authorities in the Philippines file criminal complaints against its former chief operating officers and others.

The Philippine’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed criminal complaints against individuals involved in the Wirecard scandal over accused violation of banking, cybercrime and e-commerce laws, according to a report citing a text message from Justice Minister Menardo Guevarra.

NBI recommended charge against ex-Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek, Manila-based lawyer Mark Tolentino, Joey Dela Cruz Arellano, Judith Singayan Pe, and other unnamed individuals, according to a separate statement from the prosecutor general’s office.

If found guilty, the charged individual could face up to 12 years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of around $42,000.

Wirecard continues to face the aftermath of a scandal involving 1.9 billion euros ($2.3 billion) of missing funds despite documents that allege its previous existence and witness by auditor EY.

Tolentino’s law firm was used by Wirecard to open foreign currency bank accounts with BDO Unibank and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) – the two banks that the German firm claimed held the now missing funds.

Arellano is being accused of issuing forged documents confirming that Wirecard held cash at BPI and receiving payments for the task by Pe and other unnamed individuals.