Under the Vienna Convention, the international treaty that governs diplomatic relations, ambassadors cannot be compelled to appear in any investigation conducted by the host country.
The National Bureau of Investigation under orders of the President is investigating the reported shakedown which even dragged the name of presidential sister Ballsy Cruz and her husband, Eldon.
“I wish to state that the allegations that members of your family were involved with discussions with Inekon on any projects in the Philippines are simply untrue and malicious,” Rychtar said in a letter to the President last June 29.
The Cruz couple visited Prague in 2011 upon the invitation of Rytchar. They reportedly met with Czech businessmen during their visit.
A Czech company, Inekon, is bidding for the P3.77 billion MRT-3 project that would involve purchase of 48 new trains for the line that spans the EDSA from Pasay-Taft to North Avenue.
But Rychtar,in a meeting with DOTC Secretary Joseph ‘Jun’ Abaya named MRT general manager Al Vitangcol III as one of those involved in the extort attempt, according to Abaya.
Vitangcol has gone on a one month leave starting July 24.
Reports said the DOTC officials’ demand for commission went down to $2.5 million to $30 million. In his June 29 letter to the President, after the extortion try was exposed by media, Rychtar said: “The Czech proposal for the MRT3 capacity expansion and modernization is a government-to-government deal which cannot contain any provisions for commissions.”
But Rychtar complained about the non-action of DOTC under Abaya, whom he first met last April.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda one again took his usual defensive stand every time allegations of anomalies involving officials of the Aquino administration is involved.
Lacierda puts the burden of getting the truth into the extortion try on Rychtar. “Every time there is an issue on corruption we have always asked the party to present us evidence. It is no different just because an ambassador said it,” he said in a radio interview.
Lacierda further said:“It requires every person, including the Czech ambassador, to submit allegations of corruption – to submit evidence to prove these allegations, and that’s what due process is all about.”
Lacierda has not thanked Rychtar for exposing the extortion attempt, which we are sure was not easy for a diplomat to do.
The government has an extensive network which it can mobilize to find out the truth if it really wants to. Aside from the NBI, each department has its own intelligence budget.
They should not give us the line that without further cooperation by the Czech ambassador, the investigation would not push through. Is that “tuwid na daan”?
http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/dr-arthur-t-porter-iv-got-very-very-rich-from-ripping-off-canadians
Well, yeah, he does kinda look charming.
Arthur Porter MD has been a lot of things over the course of his 58 years. The now-disgraced former head of the McGill University Health Center’s superhospital, Arthur was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and achieved some remarkable achievements over the course of a life now threatened by a spreading cancer. His bio is incredibly impressive. Educated in Africa, at Cambridge, Harvard and UofT, he skyrocketed to the top of his industry. A radiation oncologist with articles published in peer-reviewed journals, he sat on numerous advisory boards, established medical programs in Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East, was an associate professor at the University of Alberta, ran the Detroit Medical Center from 1999 to 2004, and has extensive diamond and gold mining interests in Canada and Sierra Leone.
He also serves or has served as chairman on medical business companies, an American investment management firm, and a private cancer clinic company in the UK. In 2006 he was appointed as a director of Air Canada and became head watchdog over Canada’s spy service, CSIS. All this while he was supposed to be overseeing the construction of Montreal’s long-delayed McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) superhospital, a position he’d taken up in 2004. Talk about multitasking!
Then it all went to shit. In November 2011, Porter resigned from the CSIS watchdog committee when the National Post revealed that he’d been involved in a shady development deal in Sierra Leone involving a Montreal-based former Israeli spy, the Russian government, and his own family holdings in the West African country. A few weeks later, he resigned as the Montreal superhospital’s CEO.
The following year, Quebec’s anti-corruption squad started sniffing around how the $1.3-billion contract to build the MUHC superhospital was awarded to Quebec-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin—an organization facing its own problems over its involvement with the Gaddafi clan among others. Arthur left the country soon after, destination unknown.
Ellen,
This all started when the Paper, NATIONAL POST revealed the shenanigans and what followed is perhaps the Biggest Corruption Scandals that was UNCOVERED by the Quebec Anti Corruption Squad that was Put Together after the allegations were made…so Far 106 very Prominent Individuals were already charged for various Corruption Offenses including the Mayor of Montreal, the Wife of Arthur Porter which was Denied Bail for laundering $22 millions of kick backs and also the CEOs of SNC lavalin and its many of its officers and they are all being sued by the McGill U and the Governments.
By the way Arthur Porter is now dying of Cancer and may not be able to live long to see trial for his crimes, but many others for unrelated Corruption will be having their day in Courts in Quebec and the Cases mostly involved Public works projects and Public Services. Pls note that it was only some Ten Years ago that another Big Corruption Scandal was also uncovered in the Province of Quebec involving the Federal Government Sponsorship Programs..that one was successfully investigated and prosecuted yet with too much money involved, the Temptations can not just stop “normal” souls from committing again and again. And in the Philippines, Chances is that it will not be successfully investigated and it would be a miracle if anyone will be prosecuted and sued for the money stolen or corrupted…
Ellen,
1. Was the Czech ambassador a witness to the extortion? If he was and he came out to expose it then of course any investigation will have to start with an eyewitness.
2. The investigators will question him to check his credibility and to see what he has that will verify his allegations.
3. Once his credibility and allegations are established, investigators can pursue leads.
Paano ka nga ba mag iimbestiga kung ‘yun kaisa-isang witness ay ayaw magpaimbestiga at ni hindi man nagtuturo na ibang mga witness?
Ano ang magiging batayan ng imbestigasyon, yun sulat? Pag nakatanggap ka ng sulat na ganun sino kaya ang unang tatawagan mo? Siguro yun sumulat, di ba? Paano aandar ang imbestigasyon kung yun sumulat ay tameme na? Kanino ka pupunta, dun sa mga inakusahan niya? Eh paano kung itanggi nila ang akusasyon mo? Di he said, he said na lang ang magiging report ng imbestigador, di ba?
what’s the use of having intel funds in every and all departments if they don’t know how or want to utilize it? just keeping the fund in their pocket?
are they now like admitting corruption is really creeping in all corners of the government? that all they know is fooling us all?
how can any investigation push through or take place if the likes of lacierda and valte always make defense and not want to go further digging such an expose?
ano ‘yan, pinasasayaw na la’ang tayo sa gusto nilang tugtog?
Naaalala ko tuloy si Mang Tano (Capt. Cayetano Cedilla, ex-Chief ng Investigation Division ng Pasay Police). Sinabon niya sa harap ko yung isang pulis niya, “Punyeta ka, hinahanapan mo ng ebidensya yung complainant, para saan pang naging imbestigador ka. Iniinsulto mo ang uniporme natin sa katamaran mo. Maghanap ka ng ebidensya at wag kang babalik hanggang hindi mo nalalaman kung ano’ng bus ang sinakyan ng bata.” Pababa kasi ako ng bus nung kumaripas yung drayber kaya gumulong ako sa EDSA muntik na akong mahagip ng huling gulong. Puro dugo yung damit ko dahil nalaplap yung balat ng siko ko sa kongkreto.
Pag-alis ng imbestigador, nilapitan ako ni Mang Tano, ang kapitbahay naming straight na pulis, sabay dukot sa bulsa ng school shirt ko, “Napakahina talaga nung bata ko. Kanina ko pa naaaninag itong tiket ng bus sa bulsa mo. Eto o, JD Transit ka pala sumakay. Sige, ‘Toy, pahatid na lang kita sa mobile pauwi. Papuntahan na lang kita doon pag nakausap ko na yung drayber. Baka nag-aalala na Mommy mo.”
O ha? Ang galing diba?
Dito sa kasong ito, aba, yung ambassador na ang gustong paimbestigahan
Naloko na.
Naapakainutil talaga nitong si Abaya, puro praise release noong bago maappoint, wala naman palang ibubuga. Nakakahiyang ibulgar pa ng isang foreign diplomat na nangongotong ang tauhan mo, bago ka kumilos, kung kumilos na nga ba?
Ewan ko kung bakit di binanatan ni Noynoy yan sa SONA e nung isang taon pa (o nung isa pa?) na-headline yung pinaka basurang airport yung airport na nakapangalan sa ama ng kasalukuyang presidente, e hanggang ngayon di pa nakakapagbaon kahit isang pako sa rehab na yan. Nag-offer ng libreng design works sina Budji Layug, Royal Pineda at Kenneth Cobonpue, hindi lang iniaward sa Leandro Locsin Architects yung kontrata, ibinasura pa yung gawa nila Cobonpue na makikita dito: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU-2r2X8Hi8 tsk, tsk, tsk. Kapal ng mga mukha, tatanggapin daw yung recommendations nila pero bahala ang Locsin kung gagamitin. Langya, yung libre nung isa, pinagkaperahan nung kabila!
Palpak yang si Abaya, sa dami ng problema sa departamento niya, ano na ang natapos? Nasaan na ang mga tren ng PNR? Ano na nangyari sa Caticlan runway? Yung Northrail? Southrail? Yung navigation system ng NAIA na di pa natatapos obsolete na? Yung mga nabinbin na tulay nung panahon pa ni Ping de Jesus, at Mar Roxas bitin pa rin? Ano na kinalabasan ng imbestigasyon ng Road User’s Tax? Ano na ang solusyon sa decongestion mg nga kalye sa MetroManila meron ba kahit konting drowing man lang? Ngayong bibili ng MRT trains meron pang kotongan. Naku.
Yan ang dapat hinihiya saka sibakin dahil natutulog sa pansitan.
tongue,
KKKKKKD ‘yan, eh. taka ka pa?