Madrid Metro chief steps down

Metro de Madrid manager Ildefonso de Matías resigned from his post on Tuesday amid a possible criminal investigation into allegations that a subcontractor double-billed the company and over a host of irregularities in the awarding of a 2.4-million euros contract to install "warning floors" for the visibly impaired.

De Matías, the son of a Metro ticket vendor and head of Madrid's underground transport system since 2003, explained to reporters he was leaving because he could no longer stand the "split" between the regional and city governments, which both run the Metro. He also said he was resigning because he did not "want to be an obstacle to the investigations."

The former manager's resignation comes days after a complaint was filed with a Madrid court judge concerning charges that four Metro employees may have been responsible for the double billing to a maintenance company. That firm, Vama Maintenance and Services, alerted transportation authorities to the alleged irregularities.

It was also revealed that since 2000, De Matías has been the owner of his own company, Plusminusive, which prepares studies and plans on public work projects. On Tuesday, he denied that Plusminusive had won contracts with Metro de Madrid.

In his statement before reporters, De Matías called on the regional and city governments to put just one person in charge of running the capital's subway system. De Matías, who is a City Hall pick and ran the day-to-day operations, reportedly ran into conflict with Ignacio González Velayos, the Metro's CEO who was named by the regional government in 2009 and made institutional decisions. "I don't see any difference between the criteria used between City Hall and the regional government. We are all Metro," said González Velayos.

In the meantime, José Manuel Pradillo, manager of the Madrid regional transportation consortium, will step in temporarily as Metro manager.

De Matías' resignation came as a surprise during Tuesday's meeting of the Metro administrative council, which was called together to discuss a complaint filed by the Transportation Council after it detected "indications" that possible crimes had been committed in the way some contracts had been awarded.

Regional government officials turned over the allegations filed by Vama Maintenance and Services to a court judge. Among the things Vama alleges is that during the past election campaign there was double billing for work performed on Line 2 and "friendly companies" were awarded public contracts. Four Metro employees have been suspended pending the inquiry.

Vama also questioned the awarding of a 2.4 million euros contract to install warning floors for the visibly impaired in 126 stations. A subsequent report by Metro auditors released on July 13 found that "important irregularities" did occur. The contract went to the company Obeysa, which gave the fourth-highest price as well as a longer time frame to install the special mats. The report goes on to explain that the quality of the warning floors was below the standards outlined in the bid. After an inspection in February 2010 found there were some adhesive problems with the mats, Obeysa replaced them with those of another material that, according to the report, had a "high risk of becoming a fire-hazard."

Vama alleged that Obeysa was "a friend" of De Matías, but on Tuesday he denied any relationship and said he would take legal action against Vama for the accusations "at the appropriate moment." Until then, De Matías will go on vacation and, when he returns, decide whether to go back to his old job as division head or leave the Metro all together.