Philippine authorities are investigating 57 foreign and local “persons of interest” potentially involved in a scandal at German payments firm Wirecard AG, an official at the country’s anti-money laundering agency said on Friday.

The Southeast Asian nation became embroiled in the collapse of Wirecard in June, with the payments firm initially claiming it kept $2.1 billion(1.64 billion pounds) in two Philippine banks, which the central bank and the lenders denied.

The persons of interest were included in a report sent to the National Bureau of Investigation, Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the Philippines’ Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), told a virtual news conference.

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(Photo: REUTERS/Andreas Gebert)