A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has indicted three executives from an election voting machine company and a former Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the Republic of the Philippines. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a bribery and money laundering scheme designed to secure and maintain business related to the 2016 Philippine elections. This case highlights the complexities of international business and the potential for corruption, especially concerning Philippines Money and electoral processes.
The indictment, unsealed today, names Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, 49, a Venezuelan national residing in Boca Raton, Florida; Jorge Miguel Vasquez, 62, a U.S. citizen residing in Davie, Florida; and Juan Andres Donato Bautista, 60, the former Chairman of COMELEC. According to court documents, the scheme unfolded between 2015 and 2018, during which time the accused allegedly orchestrated the payment of at least $1 million in bribes to Bautista. These illicit payments were purportedly made to ensure the company secured contracts for providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections, and to expedite payments on these contracts, including the release of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Prosecutors allege that the bribery fund was secretly amassed through a scheme of over-invoicing the cost of each voting machine supplied for the 2016 elections. To obscure the illicit nature of these payments, the co-conspirators reportedly used coded language when referring to the slush fund and fabricated fraudulent contracts and sham loan agreements to legitimize fund transfers. The indictment further details how the conspirators allegedly laundered the philippines money derived from the bribery scheme through a network of bank accounts spanning Asia, Europe, and the United States, including accounts within the Southern District of Florida. This intricate web of financial transactions was designed to conceal the origin and true purpose of the funds.
Pinate and Vasquez are each facing charges of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and substantive violations of the FCPA. Bautista, Pinate, Vasquez, and Elie Moreno, 44, a dual citizen of Venezuela and Israel, are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments. The potential penalties are severe, with Pinate and Vasquez facing up to five years in prison for each FCPA-related charge. Bautista, Pinate, Vasquez, and Moreno each face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment for each count of international money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The investigation is being conducted by HSI’s El Dorado Task Force Miami, with valuable assistance from IRS CI Miami. The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorneys Michael DiLorenzo and Connor Mullin, and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Emery for the Southern District of Florida. The Justice Department also acknowledged the significant cooperation received from the Philippine Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman in this international corruption case.
This indictment serves as a stark reminder of the Justice Department’s commitment to enforcing the FCPA and combating international corruption. The allegations underscore the importance of transparency and accountability in electoral processes and international business dealings, particularly when involving philippines money and public trust.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
