MANILA, Philippines - A Malaysian court has sentenced Aman Futures head Manuel Amalilio to two years imprisonment for carrying a fake Philippine passport, a senior government official confirmed to Rappler on Tuesday, February 5.

The court, in a verdict reached on Monday, February 4, also slapped Amalilio with a fine of 10,000 Malaysian ringgit (P131,000), according to the same official.

The decision however favors Amalilio since it reinforces his claim that he is a Malaysian citizen.

The Philippine government wants Amalilio tried in Manila on charges that he duped hundreds of investors in a pyramid scam. Philippine officials are also insisting he is a Filipino citizen.

Amalilio headed Aman Futures, which ran away with the investments of hundreds of Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao. The National Bureau of Investigation went to Sabah two weeks ago to bring him back to the Philippines but was stopped at the Kota Kinabalu airport by Malaysian authorities. - Rappler.com