A 48-year-old Filipina domestic worker pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering at the Eastern Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, claiming she duped by her online boyfriend.
Jeanette CR was charged with two counts of dealing with property known or believed to represent the proceeds of an indictable offense after police found suspicious transactions, worth a total of HK$677,331.04, (US$86,306), involving her two accounts with the Bank of China and the Hang Seng Bank, hongkongnews.com.hk reported.
The suspicious transactions were made from April 2017 to April 2018. However, the defendant was reportedly duped by her online boyfriend who had promised to marry her, a single mother of four.
The boyfriend allegedly offered to give her money for her medical needs and she allowed him to use her bank account. The funds were transferred later to another account.
Magistrate Peter Law opposed granting her bail, citing the charges and the amount involved, which was more than HK$600,000. But Law added she could appeal and ask for bail from the High Court in Admiralty.