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Published
By Czarina Nicole Ong
The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division decided to cancel the video conference testimony of Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar and businessman Josef Husek after the prosecution repeatedly cancelled the scheduled hearings for the graft case filed against former Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 general manager Al Sanchez Vitangcol III.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Rychtar was supposed to give his testimony in Chile Friday (October 26), but was unable to because of the “completion of his tour of duty on October 1, 2018.” As for Husek, he was unable to testify because of legal impediments under the laws of Czech Republic.
The prosecution begged the court to move their testimonies to December 2018 and January 2019, but the anti-graft court finally put its foot down and said no.
“Despite being given the opportunity — several opportunities in fact — the prosecution still failed to present said witnesses,” the resolution read.
In the absence of any commitment from Rychtar and Husek to testify, and without any certainty that Husek’s legal impediments will be resolved within the next few months, the court ruled that resetting their testimonies “will accomplish nothing but cause delay in the proceedings.”
Their testimonies are in relation to the alleged extortion of Vitangcol for the MRT3 Capacity Expansion Project.
Vitangcol was earlier slapped with two counts in violation of Section 3(b) of Republic Act 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
From July 9 to 10, 2012, Vitangcol and his middleman, Wilson Tigno De Vera, reportedly requested from the Czech company, Inekon Group, the amount of $30 million “in exchange for the selection of Inekon as the supplier” of the Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) under Lot 1 of the MRT3 Capacity Expansion Project.
Vitangcol coursed the demand through De Vera on the eve of July 9, 2012 at the residence of Rychtar in Forbes Park, Makati City.
De Vera was talking to Vitangcol over the phone as the latter met with Inekon representatives. Because Inekon officials refused Vitangcol’s offer, the extortion amount was reduced to $2.5 million. However, Inekon did not give in.
Meanwhile, Vitangcol is also facing violations of Sections 3(e) and 3(h) of R.A. 3019 and Section 65(c)(1) of the Government Procurement Reform Act for being partial to PH Trams and CB and T Joint Venture in the awarding of the MRT3 maintenance contract in October 2012.
He did not disclose that Pangasinan provincial accountant Arturo Vallo Soriano, one of the directors of PH Trams, is actually his wife’s uncle.
Co-accused alongside Vitangcol are Soriano and other PH Trams incorporators Wilson de Vera, Marlo dela Cruz, Manolo Maralit, and Federico Remo.
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