The Daily Tribune
Meet Maynard Ngu: Businessman, Chiz’s alleged bagman
Maynard Ngu, owner of Cork Wine Bar and Special Envoy to China, is accused of being Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero's bagman for alleged kickbacks from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
Former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testified that he delivered approximately P160 million to Ngu on behalf of Escudero.
Bernardo recounted a meeting at Cork Wine Bar where Escudero allegedly requested funds from infrastructure projects, with Ngu facilitating the transaction.
The initial interaction allegedly began in 2022 concerning a Sorsogon streetlights project, though it's unclear if kickbacks were involved at that stage.
Ngu, a close friend of Escudero, founded Cherry Mobile and was appointed Special Envoy to China by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2023.
Ngu's ties to Escudero extend back to 2019 through business partnerships involving Escudero's wife, Heart Evangelista.
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Maynard Ngu, CEO of Cherry Mobile maker Cosmic Technologies and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s special envoy to China, has resigned as an independent director of Altus Property Ventures Incorporated (APVI).
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Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo alleged in a sworn affidavit that he delivered P160 million, representing 20 percent of P800 million in projects, to Maynard Ngu, a friend of Senator Francis Escudero, claiming the money was for the senator.
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A former Public Works undersecretary identified Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, former Senator Bong Revilla, and former Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay as allegedly demanding commissions from flood-control projects.
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