Ex-Philippines official faces extradition hearing

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003 | 9:31 a.m.

A former Philippines presidential adviser accused of plundering more than $2 million from the country's tax coffers will now likely face a long-awaited extradition hearing.

Charlie "Atong" Ang was arrested in Las Vegas in November 2001, and is wanted by the Philippines government for his part in a scheme involving ousted President Joseph Estrada and the theft of about $2.5 million in public funds.

Ang, who was freed from the North Las Vegas jail in late 2002 on $300,000 bail, had asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leavitt to deny his extradition to the Philippines.

Ang's motion, which was denied Monday in a written order from Leavitt, contended that plunder is not an extraditable offense because it does not meet a treaty requirement that a criminal offense must be the same in both the United States and the Philippines for the accused to be extradited.

The U.S. Attorney's office argued that the court "need not find identical criminal statutes defining the offense, only conduct that would be a crime in both jurisdictions."

Leavitt's order said that there are analogous crimes in both countries having to do with alleged tax schemes and gambling kickbacks.

Ang is accused of funneling tobacco tax kickbacks and illegal gambling payoffs to Estrada, who was ousted in January 2001 and is jailed in Manila where he is facing political corruption charges.

On Monday Leavitt also denied Ang's motion asking that the U.S. government not be allowed to use recorded conversations between Ang and former Philippines provincial governor, Luis Singson, at an extradition hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Greg Damm, who has been working on the case with U.S. Department of Justice attorney Jeffrey Cole, from the U.S. Embassy in Manilla, said that the denials of the motions means an extradition hearing could soon be set.

A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The plunder charge could carry a death penalty in the Philippines, but Cole has told Leavitt that Philippines authorities have promised to waive the death penalty if Ang is extradited.

In previous hearings, Leavitt has said he would not send Ang to the Philippines to face a capital charge.

The Associated Press

contributed to the story.