U.S. Reported Ready to Indict Marcos, Wife

The Justice Department plans to ask President Reagan this week to approve an indictment against deposed Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his wife, Imelda, on charges of fraud and conspiracy, it was reported today.

The charges would be based on the Marcoses’ ownership of several Manhattan buildings and on alleged efforts by a Saudi Arabian arms dealer to help the couple conceal their property holdings, sources told the Village Voice.

U.S. Atty. Rudolph Giuliani has conducted a two-year investigation of the couple, the newspaper said.

The case, which has been reviewed by the State Department, will be considered by the National Security Council before being submitted to Reagan, the newspaper said. It has become U.S. policy to seek presidential approval of any indictment of a foreign head of state and Marcos still is considered a sovereign, the paper said.

The charges stem from the couple’s once-secret ownership of the Crown Building, the Herald Center and an office building on Wall Street.

The Marcoses enlisted the help of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi to help conceal and protect their Manhattan real estate from efforts by President Corazon Aquino to reclaim the couple’s assets, the Voice said.