MANILA - A branch manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) on Monday insisted that RCBC president and CEO Lorenzo Tan knew about the illegal transaction involving his "friend."

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, RCBC Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos Deguito said Tan was friends with Kim Wong who owns one of six bank accounts allegedly used in moving millions of dollars stolen by unknown hackers from the Bank of Bangladesh and laundered in casinos in Parañaque City.

Deguito said Kim Wong referred to her four persons who opened on May 2015 the other bank accounts linked to the scam: Michael Francisco Cruz, Jessie Christopher Lagrosas, Alfred Santos Vergara and Enrico Teodoro Vasquez.

"I met the five individuals in Solaire hotel. As I mentioned in the previous interview on the radio, 'di ba, as branch manager, mayroon kaming marketing function to go out of office," Deguito said.

"These five individuals were referred to me in Solaire. And doon, inabot ko iyung forms, na-accomplish iyung forms together with all the supporting documents."

Asked why she agreed to meet these men at Solaire and not at their bank, she said: "Kim Wong is a known close friend of the president [Lorenzo Tan] of the bank. Iyung mga ganoon kasi, mas may special accommodation."

ROLE OF TRADER WILLIAM GO

The bank accounts of Wong and the others remained unused until February 5, 2016 when $81 million was transferred to them from the account of the Bank of Bangladesh at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The money was consolidated to the US dollar bank account of businessman William Go for eventual conversion into pesos.

Deguito said Wong ordered the opening of Go's dollar account on February 5, the same day that $81 million was remitted to their bank.

The bank manager, however, admitted that she failed to verify if Go knew of Wong's order.

"Actually to some client friends, iyung comfort level kasi andoon na e. Although siguro, iyun nga ang kakulangan ko kasi I did not confirm. Ang assumption kasi magkakilala silang dalawa. So I did not ask much on that kung bakit pinabubuksan," she said.

Go, through his legal counsel Ramon Esguerra, said Friday that he knew nothing of the opening of the dollar account and accused Deguito of forging his signature.

But Deguito denied this, saying Go's signature in the documents presented by Wong matched the signature in his peso account at the bank.

She also belied Go's claim that she attempted to bribe him with P10 million to close the questioned account after the RCBC started probing the scam.

Deguito said it was the businessmen who asked her for a cut from the "dirty money."

"He asked magkano na iyung pumasok? I told him it's $81 million... He's asking for P400 million," she said.

"Ako, hindi ko naintindihan bakit niya ako hinihingan ng P400 million. Nagkatawaran pa, after a while, he said kahit 5% na lang which is P200 million."

READ: RCBC branch manager: Wala akong kasalanan

GO SIGNAL FROM HIGHER-UPS?

Deguito also said that the wire transfer of the illegal funds first passed the RCBC main office before it reached the accounts in the bank's Jupiter branch.

She said she even questioned their head office about the sudden remittance of the huge amount. The RCBC Settlements Division, however, allegedly did not raise red flags on the transfer.

"Kung may red flag kasi, dapat [RCBC] Settlements ang tumawag sa akin and [should] have asked me to ask for documentation. Since we did not receive any calls, kumbaga, I had assumed everything was in place kasi nag-check na sila from head office bago pa makarating sa bank accounts," she said.

She added that the RCBC Treasury even converted the dollar transfer into peso before it was withdrawn from the account of Go.

She also claimed Tan knew about the transaction.

"The referrer told me that the president of the bank knows of the transaction. And I would presume because the trading of the dollar was allowed between Feb. 5, Feb. 9, Feb. 10 until I think, 11. Feb. 9 was the date of the recall of funds," she said.

Deguito also assumed that RCBC Treasury would have needed the approval of the bank's higher-ups to process such a huge amount.

She also expressed resentment against Tan after the bank and Go seemingly pinned her as the mastermind of the scam.

"Sir, kilala mo ako e. Kilala mo rin kung anong record ko sa banko," she told Tan.

The bank manager also broke down in tears as she denied profiting from the illegal transaction.

"Wala kaming ginawang masama. Hindi ko po alam... Sabi ko nga, kung nananaginip lang ako, sana magising na lang ako para hindi na normal lahat ng nangyayari sa amin," she said.

"Araw-araw, itinatawid ko lang iyung buhay ko. Ang hirap-hirap. Natatakot ako para sa sarili ko, para sa pamilya ko. Kaya lang, kung hindi naman ako lalabas, parang paano na lang kami."

Atty. Francis Lim, Tan's legal representative, declined to immediately comment on Dequito's claims.

An earlier statement from Lim said: "Maia Deguito had already admitted that in a radio interview that she only 'assumed' Mr. Lorenzo Tan knew about the $81 million transaction at Ms. Deguito's branch that is now being investigated by anti-money laundering authorities and that she is not accusing Mr. Tan. This directly contradicts her previous position that Mr. Tan 'knew.'''

READ: Explain 'fake account,' RCBC chief tells branch manager

CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

Deguito's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, also expressed suspicions over a possible conflict of interest that may influence the separate internal probe of the RCBC.

Topacio said Tan is represented in the investigation by the ACCRA (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices ).

The head of the RCBC investigation, Atty. Macel Fernandez, was a former ACCRA official, Topacio said.

"Sabi ko, aba'y teka muna, anong laban natin dito? Iyung nag-iimbestiga, galing sa ACCRA. Iyung nagdedepensa kay Mr. Tan galing ACCRA... Siyempre may conflict of interest po iyan sapagkat dating magkakasama po sila. Hindi po natin maiiwasan iyan," he said.

"Natatakot po ako na noon pa man, at that early stage, baka magkaroon ng cover-up ito o whitewash. Ganoon na nga po ang nangyayari. Tila nagkakaisa-isa na po at lahat, itinuturo si Ms. Deguito."

Tan and Deguito are expected to attend a hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee and the congressional oversight committee about the controversy on Tuesday. -- Report from Anthony Taberna, ABS-CBN News