Officials doubt new Marcos wealth

Officials doubt new Marcos wealth

MANILA (AP): Philippine officials expressed doubt on Thursday
over claims by a former chief prosecutor of new evidence of
billions of dollars in secret Swiss bank accounts allegedly
belonging to the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Swiss bank officials and investigators denied the existence of
such accounts.

On Wednesday former solicitor general Francisco Chavez claimed
he had evidence an account in the Union Bank of Switzerland in
the name of I. Araneta contained US$13.4 billion and belonged to
Marcos' youngest daughter, Irene Marcos-Araneta.

He said he also had proof Marcos' widow, Imelda, had a
separate Swiss bank account containing 800,000 ounces of gold.

He accused Swiss authorities, Swiss banks and the Philippine
government's Swiss lawyer of covering up the existence of the
alleged accounts.