Hanoi’s People’s Court has sentenced a top Vietnamese policeman to a long prison sentence for his role in allowing his brother, the then head of Vinalines to flee abroad.
Duong Tu Trong was sentenced to 18 years imprisonmentPhoto: VNA
52-year-old Duong Tu Trong, former vice director of the northern city of Haiphong’s Public Security Department, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment on charges of aiding and abetting the illegal escape of his brother Duong Chi Dung from the country.
Vu Tien Son, 47, ex-deputy head of the Social Crime Investigation Police Section under Haiphong’s Department of Public Security, also earned 13 years in prison for his role in organising Dung’s escape.
Another five accomplices, including three Haiphong police and customs officers, were handed five to eight year prison terms.
Trong and his associates transported his brother Dung by car to the northern province of Quang Ninh, then Ho Chi Minh City, and finally the southern province of Tay Ninh.
From Tay Ninh, Dung was driven to Cambodia, where he went to Singapore. From there he wanted to fly to the US, but could not obtain a visa. He then returned to Cambodia, where he was arrested on September 4, 2013.
At a trial in mid-December last year, Dung and his subordinate Mai Van Phuc, former general director of Vinalines, were handed death sentences for having “intentionally violated state economic management regulations, causing serious consequences” and embezzling VND10 billion ($474,000) each in the purchase of an outdated floating dock.
Another eight defendants were also imprisoned and have to repay the money they embezzled.
According to Duong Chi Dung’s testimony in court, on May 17, he received a phone call from a senior Ministry of Public Security official tipping him off that he had been under arrest for a dock scam at Vinalines.
The Hanoi court has ordered an investigation into Dung’s claims.
According to the court’s indictment, during 2007-2008, Dung and his accomplices violated regulations on investment, bidding and customs procedures through purchasing and repairing an obsolete floating dock from a foreign partner. The malpractice caused losses of VND366.9 billion ($17.47 million) to the state coffers.
In the deal, Dung, Phuc and two other defendants appropriated $1.666 million as a kickback from the foreign partner.
However, in late December 2013, Dung and other defendants appealed to the People’s Supreme Court. Dung claimed that he had not engaged in embezzlement and appealed against the death sentence.
According to the board of judges at the court last week, the Vinalines case was extremely serious with all information under investigation being considered top secret.
By Nguyen Dat
Đăng ký: VietNam News
