NBI summons broker in MRT scandal

MANILA, Philippines - The alleged middleman in the $30-million extortion attempt involving officials of the Metro Rail Transit was summoned to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday.

Four MRT officials are also expected to be summoned.

A source told The STAR the NBI Foreign Liaison Division summoned Manolo Maralit to start the investigation on the allegations.

News reports have tagged Maralit as the middleman of Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar and officials of Czech railway firm Inekon Group to Metro Rail Transit Corp. general manager Al Vitangcol III.

He reportedly joined several dinners with MRT officials, Rychtar, and officials of Inekon, who were eyeing the contract to supply trains for the MRT 3 expansion.

Inekon was among five companies that bought bidding documents from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the P3.8-billion MRT 3 expansion project.

In an affidavit submitted to the DOTC, Maralit denied    knowing anything about the alleged extortion.

The NBI probe arose from Rychtar’s allegations that Vitangol and other MRT officials tried to extort $30 million – later reduced to $2.5 million – from Inekon.

Vitangcol denied the accusations and has gone on leave.

The P3.8-billion MRT 3 expansion project involves the acquisition of 48 new trains.

Currently, MRT 3 has 73 Czech-made trains.