Defendant Huynh Ngoc Si, a former transport official was convicted today, March 17, to serve an extended prison term for abusing his position.
Defendants Huynh Ngoc Si (Right) and Le Qua (Left)
The People’s court of Ho Chi Minh City ordered Si to stay six years in prison instead of the three to which he had been sentenced in September. His deputy will be in prison for 5 years, up from an original two.
The case involved Tokyo-based Pacific Consultants International (PCI), a company which worked on Ho Chi Minh City's largest infrastructure project, a highway linking the city's east and west.
Si was deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City's transport department and headed the project management unit (PMU), running team in charge of major road projects.
Yesterday, March 16, Si was trying to seek a suspension however, it was overruled by the court and he was sentenced more time in the jail because his violation is very serious and caused a heavy loss in the State budget.
Si and Qua were accused of renting state offices to PCI between 2001 and 2002 for a total of VND1.2 billion ($62,500) but not including the money in official accounts.
The two officials deducted VND350 million ($18,226) for "receptions", dividing the rest among dozens of employees and managers, while each pocketed about VND53 million ($2,760) themselves, the lower court ruled in September.
In August 2008, a Tokyo court sentenced former PCI president Masayoshi Taga to a suspended jail term after convicting him of bribing Si.
Japanese media reported that former PCI executives admitted paying Si $820,000 in bribes.
Three former PCI executives in addition to Taga were given suspended prison terms and the company was fined 70 million yen ($774,193) over bribes to secure road contracts in the case.
Japan, Vietnam's biggest bilateral donor, resumed aid loans to Vietnam one year ago after suspending them during the PCI scandal.