The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent to prison an accountant who embezzled more than P3.7M from three corporations for violation of Republic Act 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act).

In separate Informations, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lagrimas Agaran charged Flordeliza Bosi a.k.a. “Novita C. Gacias”, accountant of Time Depot, Belrewmond Trading, Inc. and Beawmont Distributions, Inc., for pocketing the said amount from June 2006 to April 2008.

The Informations said that as accountant of the three corporations, Bosi was tasked with the preparation of Value-Added Tax (VAT) Returns due the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the corresponding tax payments through checks payable to cash.

However, Bosi was accused of “making false and fictitious VAT returns and preparing checks in excess of the actual amount due to the BIR and pocketed the rest of the monies xxx.”

Further, it was alleged that Bosi deposited different amounts ranging from P50,000 to P250,000 within the said period to the account of her husband, Melchor Bosi at the Bank of the Philippine Islands “thereby making it appear that the same or said amount originated from legitimate sources, to the damage and prejudice of the three (3) corporations.”

After trial of the case handled by Assistant State Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe S. Pacamarra, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) Branch 222 found Bosi guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the offense charged and sentenced her to imprisonment of from four to five years for each of the 29 counts and a fine of P1.5M with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency. The court however said that applying the three-folds rule, “the accused may not serve more than fifteen (15) years of imprisonment.”