Mighty Corp.’s owner says will cooperate in investigation: lawyer

March 7, 2017

The owner of cigarette maker Mighty Corporation whom President Rodrigo Duterte ordered arrested for alleged economic sabotage vowed to cooperate in any investigation, his lawyer said.

Sigfrid Fortun said Tuesday his client Alexander Wong Chu King, owner of Mighty Corp., met with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II at the Department of Justice following the businessman’s “voluntary” appearance at the National Bureau of Investigation.

“It (The meeting) was about to appraise us about the supposed excise tax deficiency. The company has decided to cooperate fully in accordance to what Secretary Aguirre had conveyed with regards to the wishes of the president that he wanted to find out what happened to the allegedly faked excise tax stamps” the lawyer said.

Fortun said the meeting has nothing to do with Duterte’s arrest order or about the attempted bribe on the president.

“That is totally new (alleged bribe attempt). There was nothing to that effect that was discussed,” Fortun stressed.

When asked if his client is ready to pay the supposed tax deficiency, Fortun said there is ‘a process and assessment” but for now, Wong Chu King is ready to cooperate.

The Bureau of Customs said it was considering the filing of a P1 billion tax evasion case against Mighty Corp. for allegedly failing to pay the amount.

The BOC also said it intends to suspend the company’s import accreditation due to findings it allegedly smuggled cigarettes into the country.

NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said Wong Chu King met with NBI Director Dante Gierran where the businessman also vowed to cooperate in any probe. But Lavin said he did not know the scope of the investigation.

Fortun said his client went to the NBI to show that he has nothing to hide. DMS