>> PMU 18 former officials stand trial again
>> Embezzlement scandal surrounding Bai Chay Bridge goes to court
Despite having been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, former Director of PMU18, Bui Tien Dung will return to court again to face further embezzlement charges.
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| Bui Tien Dung returns to court |
Hanoi People’s Court will open the new trial on June 27.
According to the indictment, announced in November 2010 by the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Bui Tien Dung in 1998 had been assigned to the Project Management Unit (PMU18). The unit was responsible for a Japanese ODA-funded project worth VND1.3 trillion (USD63.3 million) to build the Bai Chay Bridge in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
The project included three major bidding packages, which needed a combined 49 consultants.
Dung and his subordinates then allegedly compiled fake lists of consultants to appropriate more than VND3 billion (USD146,200) from the state budget.
Dung will be tried together with nine accomplices, including Nguyen Vu Nam, former head of the Project Initiation Department No. 6 (PID 6); Nguyen Cong Dung, former PID 6 expert; Nghiem Phu Son, former deputy head of PID 6; Le Minh Giang, former deputy head of PID 5; Nguyen Huu Minh, former executive director of the Bai Chay 1 (BC1) bid; Nguyen Huu Long, former executive director of the BC3 bid; Tran Duc Hung, chief of the consulting office for the Bai Chay Bridge project; and Do Kim Quy, former deputy general director PMU 18.
Only Quy is charged with “using assets created by criminals” while the remaining defendants are charged with embezzlement.
Quy, who was about to retire at the time, accepted a “send-off gift” worth VND500 million (USD24,300) from Dung despite knowing the illegal source of the money.
After police began investigating, Quy returned the entire VND500 million (USD24260).
Dung is still in prison, while the others have been released on bail.
In November 2007, Dung was sentenced to 13 years for gambling and bribery. Nearly three years later, in August 2010, he was sentenced to an additional three years for “deliberately acting against the State’s economic management regulations.”
After delaying the trial on numerous occasions to allow prosecutors more time to collect evidence, the court will stage the new trial under Judge Le Thi Hop. Two prosecutors will be assigned to the Court and several lawyers will defend the defendants.
