MERRY-GO-ROUND
By Floro L. Mercene
Tetsuya Yokota, president of Aruze Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. (APMI filed before the Prosecutor’s Office, Parañaque City, three counts of perjury against Dindo Espeleta, chief executive advisor of Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI).
Yokota accused Espeleta of making false statements in TRLEI’s estafa complaint filed December 5, 2017 against him and other co-accused for the supply of $4.5 million of LED strip lights for casino-resort Okada Manila.
Last May, Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed for lack of probable cause the estafa case TRLEI had previously filed against APMI in connection with the LED lights.
Yokota, in his affidavit, asserted that Espeleta first committed perjury for claiming that he wasn’t aware that APMI will not supply the LED strips for the project.
Yokota said their e-mail exchanges clearly show that he and TRLEI both knew that it would be J&J Philippines Corporation that would supply the LED strips as part of APMI’s LED product.
He said Espeleta’s reply to the email last May 20, 2018, indicated that he would send the LED specification for J&J’s consideration.
He added Espeleta made another false statement when he made it appear in his complaint that APMI “falsely represented that it would manufacture the LED stripes that it deliver to TRLEI,” when in fact, they were from J&J.
Yokota said from the beginning, TRLEI was aware that some components of the LED products would be sourced from corporations other than APMI.
He added that the Supply Agreement between the two companies indicated that APMI will only “supply the LED lights,” and not manufacture them entirely.
Yokota also claimed that Espeleta made his third false statement when he made it appear that APMI is not authorized to engage in the manufactured of outdoor LED strips.
Yokota said the APMI’s amended Articles of Incorporation indicate that the company can perform acts “which promote its interest and make profitable any of its rights or properties.”
He pointed out that Philippine Economic Zone Authority has issued a Letter of Authority, allowing APMI to sell LED with accessory-aluminum extrusion and controller to TRLEI.