Former Philippines Bureau of Immigration commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles have withdrawn a complaint against gaming identity Jack Lam due to “mistaken assumption or interpretation of facts and circumstances,” according to reports.
Mr Lam, best known for his involvement in junket operations in Macau through his company Jimei Group, had been accused by Argosino and Robles last December of paying them a Php50 million bribe for the release of over 1,000 illegal Chinese workers at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Pampanga. Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino were also operated by Jimei Group at the time.
Mr Lam’s lawyer, Raymond Fortun, last week forwarded a joint motion signed by both Argosino and Robles withdrawing their complaint accusing Mr Lam of corruption of public officers and violation of the anti-wiretapping law.
They cited the need to withdraw the complaint due to “parties to the instant complaint executed affidavits of recantation and clarification which materially affect the instance case.
“Review of the affidavits would show that the instant complaint was likewise based on mistaken assumption or interpretation of facts and circumstances,” they said.
As a result they had “decided to refrain from pursuing the instant case, now and in the future.”
Argosino and Robles were fired by President Duterte shortly after they had filed their complaint amid allegations that they had in fact been extorting the Php50 million from Mr Lam.
Despite the withdrawal, Mr Lam, Mr Argosino and Mr Robles are all still facing another complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in January for bribery, graft, and violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts and private persons from giving them.
Whether any actual action can be taken against Mr Lam is another matter given that no warrant has been issued for his arrest and that, as confirmed by Mr Fortun, he is still “out of the country” anyway.
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