Vitangcol.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
The Sandiganbayan has reset the arraignment of听dismissed Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) General Manager Al Vitangcol III on two counts of graft for an alleged extortion try on Czech firm Inekon in exchange for contracts with the railway system.
The听Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Thursday canceled Vitangcol鈥檚 scheduled arraignment and reset it to March 16.
The court has yet to rule on Vitangcol鈥檚 motion to quash his charges.
The court earlier ordered Vitangcol鈥檚 arrest after it found probable cause to try him. Vitangcol has posted bail.
READ: Arrest warrant out vs Vitangcol over $30M extort try
The court on Nov. 29 served the arrest warrant against Vitangcol and his alleged envoy Wilson De Vera.
Both were charged with two counts of graft or violations of Section 3(b) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
搁贰础顿:听Ex-MRT general manager Vitangcol faces trial for $30-M extort try
Vitangcol now represents听the听anti-corruption group Citizens鈥� Crime Watch.
In indicting Vitangcol, the Ombudsman said his first graft charge stemmed听from allegations that he听attempted听to extort $30 million from Inekon in exchange for contracts for the听supply听for additional light rail vehicles and听maintenance听of the MRT-3 in connection with the P3.7 billion听MRT-3 expansion project in 2012.
搁贰础顿:听Ex-MRT chief Vitangcol indicted for $30M extort try
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Ombudsman investigation showed that Vitangcol sent his envoy De Vera to demand the payment of $30 million, later reduced to $2.5 million, for Inekon to be awarded the contract.
Vitangcol and De Vera were accused of extorting money from Inekon听Group CEO and chair Josef Husek at the residence of then Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar. Inekon turned down the extort try.
Vitangcol and De Vera鈥檚 second graft charge stemmed from an allegation that they conspired and insisted for Inekon to sign a joint venture agreement for the maintenance contract under a 60-40 percent sharing scheme with a group of persons who included De Vera, an incorporator of the firm Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. (PH-Trams).
After weighing in the testimonies of Rychtar and Husek, as well as the conflicting statements of Vitangcol and De Vera, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said the 鈥渢otality of x x x circumstances, taken together with the affirmative declarations of complainant鈥檚 witnesses,鈥� would show that Vitangcol attempted to extort from Inekon in exchange for the contract.
搁贰础顿:听Vitangcol: I鈥檓 just a fall guy
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The Ombudsman also found Vitangcol guilty of the administrative offenses of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and unlawful solicitation, and was ordered dismissed from service and perpetually barred from government with his retirement benefits forfeited.
Due to Vitangcol鈥檚 separation from the service, the penalty of dismissal is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent鈥檚 one year salary.
Vitangcol decried selective justice, adding that the Ombudsman cleared former transportation secretary Emilio 鈥淛un鈥� Abaya even though it was the latter听who approved the anomalous contract to PH Trams.
READ: MRT fiasco: Vitangcol indicted for graft, Abaya spared
Vitangcol was sacked by the Department of Transportation and Communications in August 2014 after he was accused of conflict of interest when he awarded a contract to the firm of his wife鈥檚 uncle.听IDL/rga