The Department of Justice – National Prosecution Service (DOJ-NPS) secured the conviction of “James Yap” for Violation of Republic Act (R.A.) 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2011).

In a 10-page Decision, the Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court – Branch 27 found Alfredo Baclado a.k.a. James Yap guilty of the said offense and sentenced him to imprisonment of from seven to 14 years and a fine of P3M.

In a report submitted by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Merba Waga, the DOJ filed the Information against Baclado on the basis of a criminal complaint filed before the Department by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

AMLC earlier received a Suspicious Transaction Report in 2003 “about an incoming remittance from Japan to the savings account under the name of James Yap in Allied Banking Corporation – Pusok Branch, Lapu-Lapu City.”

During trial, the prosecution presented evidence that a total amount of P2.646M (peso equivalent of ¥6M) was deposited into the said account, and that Baclado alias Yap was among the accused in the kidnapping for ransom of Ryohei Sato, a Japanese national.

A narrative of the victim’s daughter, Yuko Sato was also presented in court, where she claimed that he got a call from her father’s kidnappers on February 3, 2003, demanding ransom money of ¥6M which she complied with out of fear for her father’s life. She later learned that the kidnappers had killed her father.