MRT chief denies shakedown; LP keeps distance

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Rail Transit (MRT) general manager Al Vitangcol III denied yesterday the allegations of Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar that he went to his residence to extort $30 million from Czech firm Inekon Group.

Speaking to reporters after a Senate hearing yesterday, Vitangcol said Rychtar’s allegations that he went to his residence are all false.

“I would like to reiterate that the allegations of the Czech ambassador are false,” he said in Filipino.  “I did not go to his house. His allegations that I was the principal are all lies. There is no truth  to them. “The people that he had mentioned to be involved all declare in their own capacity everything the ambassador said were all lies.”

Vitangcol spoke after the Senate finance committee hearing into the financial absorptive capacity of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in relation to its budgetary allocation for various projects under the annual General Appropriations Act.

Speaking at the hearing, Vitangcol said when Rychtar first came out, the primary issue he raised was the supply of additional trains. The second time he was saying that they were entitled to do maintenance work on MRT 3, an entirely different thing from the supply of trains, he added.

Vitangcol said all MRT trains were manufactured by CKD Tatra, which had closed shop and was subsequently bought by Siemens Corp. and another firm. 

“When Inekon came, they were claiming that they have proprietary rights over MRT trains because the trains (were) made to order and they claim that they have the rights over the design which we do not believe... intellectual property rights,” he said.

Rychtar and Josef Husek, chairman and chief executive officer of Inekon, said people identified with Vitangcol tried to extort $30 million from the Czech firm.

Rychtar has submitted an unsigned complaint to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), while Husek had presented a signed affidavit.

The NBI initially cleared Vitangcol, but it has yet to release a final report on the case. 

LP keeps distance

A spokesman said the Liberal Party (LP) is not involved in the alleged $30-million extortion attempt on a Czech company interested in supplying train coaches for the MRT.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said yesterday the LP welcomes the investigation “in the interest of truth.”

“I smell something fishy about this move to revive the investigation on the alleged MRT extortion issue,” he said. 

“I think this is a fishing expedition in aid of 2016 elections. The opposition will try very hard to link the Liberal Party to the issue. But they will only be disappointed because our party leadership has nothing to do with it. Our party does not and is not involved in corruption.”   

Rychtar urged to stop media tour

At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda urged yesterday Rychtar to stop his media tour to “resurrect” his allegations of extortion against   Vitangcol.

“We encourage him to speak up before the proper body and not just the media,” he said.

Lacierda said the NBI has looked into the allegations of Rychtar.

“Until such time that you (Rychtar) are prepared to present evidence, we cannot work on statements coming from media,” he said.

“That’s the reason why we want affidavits coming from those people who have knowledge, if at all, of any alleged wrongdoing. Suddenly there’s again a resurrection of all these situations.” 

Lacierda said the NBI and the DOTC investigated the case after it came to light in 2013.

“It’s certainly interesting, curious why he (Rychtar) does that (media hopping),” he said. “We’d certainly be curious why he’s doing that and not helping the proper investigative bodies do their jobs.”    â€“ With Aie Balagtas See, Delon Porcalla, Edu Punay