3 foreign nationals framed: lawyer
The Manila-based legal counsel of the three foreign nationals accused of theft in Iloilo said that his clients are just victims of frame-up.
Lawyer Renato Cervantes said such frame-up was staged by three employees of the grocery store in Janiuay town they entered on July 3.
The three suspects were charged Tuesday morning for theft after they attempted to steal cash from the grocery store. They allegedly pretended to purchase some goods while eyeing the cashier’s money amounting to P22,000.
But an employee saw the incident and the other employees immediately closed the store and called for police assistance.
The suspects were identified as Hossein Roshandal, 45, an Iranian national and Pakistanis Yawar Tahir, 29, and Imran Hussein, 20.
The store employees Joecel Lavente, Christine Demetillo, and Elray Borja said they are willing to witness against the foreign nationals.
But Janiuay Police Station chief, Insp. Engilbert Banquillo, said the three have already posted a bail of P20,000 each.
In Iloilo City Police, the Police Station 1 also filed a robbery charge against the suspects for victimizing A and B Money Changer at Solis-Delgado Sts., Iloilo on July 2.
Cashier Jose Bacas said one of the suspects pretended to be looking for his companion at around 5:30 p.m.
Slowly, he made his way inside the cashier’s booth and took the money changer’s cash of US$ 2,000, 3,000 euros, and 1,000 British pounds.
Bacas said he then saw the suspect join his group after the heist.
On the same day, Tahir and Hussein were also accused of robbing the Henry Lhuillier Pawnshop in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo where they took the cashier’s money amounting to P20,000.
The suspects are also linked to another incident in Nueva Ecija where they hauled some P70,000 from their victims.
It was reported earlier that a ranking police official meddled in the cases of three foreign nationals, seeking a possible dismissal of the case in the prosecution level.
