Vitangcol to sue Czech envoy over MRT extort scam

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Rail Transit 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III yesterday said he is suing Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar for accusing him of trying to extort $30 million from a Czech company in exchange for a contract to supply new coaches for MRT 3.

“We will be filing legal action against the ambassador,” Vitangcol said.

Ambassadors are immune from suit and cannot be arrested in the country where they are accredited.

“We are looking at filing False Testimony and Perjury in Solemn Affirmation against the ambassador,” Vitangcol said.

False testimony carries a penalty of arresto mayor or a maximum of six months imprisonment or prison correctional or imprisonment of at last six years.

Vitangcol said former MRT contractor Combuilders and Technology had also filed libel charges against Rychtar.

Rychtar alleged that Vitangcol and his group had tried to extort $30 million from Czech firm Inekon Group two years ago when it expressed interest in supplying new coaches for MRT 3.

Earlier, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the department is keen on discovering the truth behind the alleged extortion attempt even if it had terminated its own administrative investigation purportedly due to the absence of formal complaint.

He added that the agency is also interested in the testimonies of the private individuals implicated in the extortion attempt including Wilson de Vera, Manolito Maralit and Mario de la Cruz.

“We welcome that. We tried to invite him (De Vera) for the administrative investigation. But since he is a private individual we cannot summon and subpoena him,” he explained.

Abaya said the DOTC repeatedly invited De Vera and the other private individuals involved in the alleged extortion attempt but none of them showed up.