Amalillo, a ‘distant relative’, says Musa

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman wants the authorities
to investigate alleged conman Manuel Armillo and
"take the necessary action" – relative or not.

KOTA KINABALU:  Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman whilst denying allegations that he prevented the deportation of a suspected Sabah conman involved in scamming 15,000 investors of RM895 million in the Philippines, confessed that Manuel Karingal Amalillo is a “distant relative”.

“The arrest of a man named Manuel Amalilio (seated third from left) reached me like it reached most people, through the news.

“I have a large family and I have just recently been informed that this individual is a distant relative.

“(But) whether or not Amalillo is a relative, the authorities should investigate the matter and take the necessary action. No one is above the law.

“Let the due process of the law take its course, “ Musa said in a statement today

He further asserted that neither he nor the state government had intervened in Amalillo’s deportation as alleged by the Philippines government.

“Let me make it very clear that the Sabah state government did not and will not intervene in this matter.

“This is a police and Interpol matter.  I hope both countries will cooperate to solve the matter quickly,” Musa said.

Musa was responding to reports quoting Philippines Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas as saying that the former had stopped the deportation of Amalillo, Philippines “most wanted” man.

Amalillo,  who operated a company known as Aman Futures Group, was arrested late last month by Sabah police who had refused to hand him over to the Philippines’ government.

Fake passsport
According to reports Amalillo, also known as Mohammad Suffian Syed in Malaysia, was arrested in Ranau, Sabah, late week.  He had fled the Philippines for Sabah in November last year after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III ordered his arrest for scamming Filipinos of 12 billion pesos (RM895 million).

Amalillo had claimed to be a nephew of Musa and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman when courting his victims. It is learnt that the money Amalillo allegedly embezzled through the Aman Futures Group is in the hands of eight of his cousins.

Sabah police chief Hamzah Taib said Amalilio was arrested in Ranau over identity issue offences under Section 12 (1) D of the Passport Act 1966 and not for alleged scamming in the Philippines.

“We found him in possession of a suspected fake Philippine passport. We are now trying to establish his true citizenship,” Hamza said, adding that he had any deportation should follow the required laws.
Hamza had also reportedly said at the time that Amalillo had no family relationship with Musa’s family.