Former MRT-3 General Manager Vitangcol is facing graft charges filed before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly trying to extort a Czech firm.
After the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division ordered for his arrest, former Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) General Manager Al Vitangcol III posted P60,000 bail.
Vitangcol, along with maintenance provider PH Trams Director Wilson de Vera, were facing graft charges filed before the anti-graft court in connection with his alleged extortion attempt on Czech company Inekon in 2012.
The former railway system executive was accused of demanding P30 million from Inekon in exchange of contracts in connection to the P3.7 billion worth of project to supply 48 coaches for the expansion of the MRT-3.
According to the Office of the Ombudsman, the first graft charge against the accused rooted from the allegations what he tried to extort $30 million from Czech firm Inekon and traded it with contracts for the supply for additional light rail vehicles and maintenance of the MRT-3.
Vitangcol and de Vera were accused of two counts of violation of Section 3(b) of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Vitangcol posted bail with his legal counsel Atty. Artemio Caña Sr. while De Vera had posted bail earlier on Tuesday.
He reiterated that the cases filed against him are fabricated and baseless. He also hit the Office of the Ombudsman, saying that it has been selective in its prosecution.
He considers himself “persecuted”, more than just prosecuted.
The provision of the RA 3019 that both accused violated is prohibiting public officials from “directly or indirectly requesting or receiving any gift, present, share, percentage or benefit, for himself or for any other person, in connection with any contract or transaction between the government and any other party, wherein the public officer in his official capacity has to intervene under the law”.
Vitangcol is now representing Citizen’s Crime Watch, an anti-corruption group.
