NBI to summon MRT chief

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will subpoena Metro Rail Transit (MRT) general manager Al Vitangcol III in connection with extortion accusations hurled by the Czech ambassador and executives of a Czech company.

A source said Vitangcol would be summoned so he could answer the claims of Ambassador Josef Rychtar and officials of the Inekon Group that the government would select the Czech firm as supplier of tram vehicles provided they pay $30 million. The amount was allegedly later reduced to $2.5 million.

Rychtar and Inekon Group chief executive officer Josef Husek have submitted their affidavits to the bureau.

Vitangcol will be the second person to be summoned by the NBI in connection with the case.

The first to be subpoenaed was Manolo Maralit, the alleged middleman between Vitangcol and Rychtar.

Maralit and Vitangcol have denied the accusations in separate affidavits they submitted before the Department of Transportation and Communications, which also conducted a probe on the issue.

The NBI probe stemmed from the directive of President Aquino.