The Hanoi police have arrested the former director of Hanoi Liquid Company (Halico), Ho Van Hai, on charges of embezzlement.
Ho Van Hai brought to police station
Hai had just retired from his position in November 2013.
His alleged crimes were discovered in September 2012, after trying to export what was supposed to be a container of 2,000 cartons of vodka to a private company called Le Thi Hai in Laos.
However, because a container normally only stores 1,700 cartons of vodka the customs officer checked inside and discovered that it was empty. Also, the company, Le Thi Hai in Laos, was found not to exist.
The container was estimated to be worth USD54,000. If the goods had been cleared, Hai would be able to pocket over VND520 million in tax refund.
Upon expanding the investigation, it was discovered that, between 2008 to 2012, Halico cooperated with a Hanoi-based company called Hoang Lan to forge 26 customs documents for its bogus exporting activities to Laos, most of those documents belong to the Le Thi Hai Company. Halico also signed four export contracts with Hoang Lan.
It is estimated that Halico embezzled over VND10 billion in tax refund.
After one year of investigation, the General Department of Customs decided to prosecute and turn over the case to the police in September, 2013.
On January 20, the police searched Hai's home and detained him.
