MANILA, Philippines: Businessman Cedric Lee, who was found guilty of serious illegal detention with model Deniece Cornejo and two others, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) late Thursday.

Reports said that Lee went to the NBI headquarters in Mandaluyong City at 7:30 p.m. and was transferred on the same day to its office in Quezon City.

Television interviews quoted Lee as saying that he decided to submit himself to the authorities, as his lawyers prepared his motion before the Court of Appeals.

On Thursday, the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 153 found Lee, Cornejo, Ferdinand Guerrero, and Simeon Raz, guilty of illegally detaining TV host and actor Vhong Navarro in 2014 in exchange for ransom in violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.