Ex-Wirecard executive may have visited Philippines in June

[MANILA] Former Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek may have visited the Philippines briefly earlier this week, according to the country's Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

The Bureau of Immigration's database shows the former Wirecard chief operating officer arrived in Manila on June 23 and departed for China from Cebu the following morning, Mr Guevarra said in a mobile phone message. However, there's no airport security footage of his arrival and there are no records of any flight to China the next day, he added.

Immigration personnel are being investigated in relation to the matter, Mr Guevarra said.

CNN Philippines, which reported earlier on Mr Marsalek's visit, said he was travelling with his Filipina wife, explaining why he was allowed entry despite the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

Mr Marsalek is planning to turn himself into the Munich prosecutor at the start of next week, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported. Germany has issued an arrest warrant for him, according to Handelsblatt.

He was dismissed by Wirecard earlier this week.

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The Philippine central bank said Friday that the Wirecard case is "evidence of bad actors," and that the nation's banking system is not at fault. It earlier said that none of Wirecard's missing 1.9 billion euros (S$2.97 billion) of cash entered the Philippine financial system.

Mr Guevarra also confirmed a CNN report that Filipino lawyer Mark Tolentino had been invited by investigators to discuss reports on his alleged role in the Wirecard case. Mr Tolentino has denied he is a trustee of Wirecard.

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