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2 charged for swindling Finnish trader

ANGELES CITY — Two locals here were charged for allegedly swindling a Finnish businessman temporarily staying in the city.
The city police filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor a robbery extortion case against Rodrigo Santos Mananis, 55, of 1919 Tayag Street, Claro M. Recto, this city and Rannie Balibat, of Citycenter, Pandan here.
Chief Inspector Luisito M. Tan, Police Station 4 chief, said the two were suspected of threatening and swindling Matti M. Martsalo, 33, a Finland national, temporary residing at Eliza Street, Santa Maria 1, Balibago, this city.
Mananis is detained at the police headquarters while Balibat is still at large as of press time.
Tan said that Martsalo was looking into the premises of a closed bar along Don Juico Avenue, Clarkview Subdivision, Barangay Malabanias when a male individual approached him.
β€œHe started talking to me regarding the bar which I wanted to rent,” the victim said.
The man reportedly informed Martsalo that he is acquainted with the owner of the bar.
The suspect then accompanied Martsalo to the purported landlord at an undisclosed residence where the latter forcibly took the victim’s wallet containing P50,000.
β€œWhen I refused to play cards inside the house, they forcibly took my P50,000 without my consent,” the foreigner said.
The suspects even threatened to harm Martsalo if he did not play cards.
β€œThey also told me to sign a contract and if I did not sign, they are going to kill me,” Martsalo said.
β€œI was afraid and I signed the contract and they demanded P30,000 from me,” Martsalo said.
Around 3 p.m. on April 29, one of the suspects called Martsalo, collecting the P30,000.
Tan said the victim immediately sought police assistance and elements of Police Station 4 planned an entrapment operation.
Martsalo met the suspects at a mall here where the entrapment was conducted.
When the victim handed the marked money amounting to P15,000 to Mananis, police accosted and arrested the suspect.
Balibat was later identified by Martsalo as the one who threatened to kill him while inside the house of the supposed bar owner.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/05/01/2-charged-swindling-finnish-trader-153042

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