Pnoy sister denies $30-M extort attempt, dares her accusers

QUEZON CITY -The House of Representatives may summon the president’s sister Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino Cruz to a planned House of Representatives investigation into the alleged $30-million extortion allegation involving the purchase of MRT trains from a Czechoslovakian company.
Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said that while the President’s sister is not among those he wants probed, he may ask that Mrs. Aquino-Cruz be summoned if her name comes up in the course of the investigation.
This as Mrs. Cruz broke her silence and denied allegations she was involved in an alleged extortion attempt while she visited Czechoslovakia. Earlier, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Malacanang cleared Mrs. Cruz and husband Eldon in the allegation.
The presidential sister challenged those behind what she called “rumors” to come out in the open, while denying that she had anything to do with Inekon or the MRT-3 project, where another Aquino cousin,  businessman Jorge Aquino-Lichauco, was  being named among those pushing the MRT-3 supply contract to be awarded to Czech coach manufacturer Inekon Group.
President Aquino himself has ordered the Department of Justice and the Department of Transporation and Communications to look into the allegations.
Ballsy and her husband Eldon Cruz were linked to the extortion try  of $30 million in exchange for the Czech firm Inekon to secure the contract to supply trains for the MRT 3 in reports published in Manila Times and Philippine Daily Tribune.
It was reported that Ballsy and her husband went to Prague in 2011 and met with Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar, who brought up the extortion attempt, but inexplicably cleared the couple .
In explaining her trip to Prague in 2011, she said she was with her husband in Paris for a business trrip, who was with his boss, whom she did not name. 
She claimed that they went to  Prague because her sister, Pinky, who had been to the Czech Republic’s Capital, enthused about seeing the Sto. Nino, saying: “We went there and I got my wish.”
Ballsy also denied that she and her group met with any official or businessman, nor were they welcomed by anyone at the airport, saying that even the Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic Evelyn Austria-Garcia did not meet them, because she (Ballsy) knew how much of a headache ambassadors have when Filipinos want to be met and fetched.
The logbooks and CCTV cameras in the Philippine Embassy in the Czech Republic  should have the pictures and logbooks, and the investigators, whether the NBI or the House of representatives should order the  Philippine Embassy in the Czech Republic to have these brought if they really want to get at the truth, no matter who gets hurt.
Presidential Deputy spokesman Abigail Valte refused to comment on the possibility of having Ambassador Rychtar declared by the Aquino administration “persona non grata for sowing malicious unsubstantiated intrigues” against the relatives of President Aquino and close associates of his family who allegedly tried to extort $30 million from a Czech-based contractor Inekon.
Valte reiterated that Aquino had already asked the Justice Department to start its investigations on the published reports on the alleged extortion attempt by his relatives and close associates of his family and other officials in the administration.
“Actually ang unang ipapatawag siyempre yung ambassador na nagcomplain. Yung members ng MRT board. I have to be frank – pinaresearch ko sa staff ko ano link ni Ballsy, di ma-pinpoint. It didn’t name her in resolution but the moment (she is) mentioned by the ambassador, we will be forced to call whether or not from Malacañang or outside doesn’t matter. If anyone is involved in alleged extortion scam, the committee will call,” he said.Bayan Muna has filed House Resolution 112 seeking a congressional investigation on the allegation of extortion.According to Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar, officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications asked executives of the Inekon Group for $30 million to bag the contract to supply trains for the Metro Rail Transit-3.He said Inekon had been blacklisted for refusing to give in to the bribe demand in July last year.The resolution pointed out that Al Vitangcol III who is the head of the MRT went on leave amid the controversy, right after the State of the Nation Address.