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Vietnam Football Federation bigwigs face bribery scandal

Xinhua, June 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Two top officials of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) have been accused by a subordinate of taking bribes from him, only a few days after he was laid off in a major downsizing, local online newspaper Thanh Nien (Young People) News reported Monday.

Nguyen Van Chuong, the former director of VFF' s Young Football Players Training Center, was dismissed along with some other employees on June 1 under a lay-off plan. After that, Chuong revealed that VFF chairman Le Hung Dung and his deputy Tran Quoc Tuan had taken 100 million Vietnamese dong (4,587 U.S. dollars) each from him.

Chuong said as soon as he heard about the lay-off plan, he asked to meet the two officials to offer them the bribes, but he still ended up being fired.

In his complaint sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, and local press agencies, Chuong said he gave Tuan 100 million Vietnamese dong on July 15, 2014, but in May this year Tuan gave him back the money, saying he could not help.

"Maybe the money is not enough for him," Chuong said. Chuong said he met Dung at the latter's house, giving him 100 million Vietnamese dong and other gifts on August 28, 2014.

Chuong told the media he hired a lawyer to represent him and is ready to provide evidence to support his accusation. Meanwhile, Dung denied taking any bribe.

Dung said Chuong accompanied Tran Duy Long, former chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation, to his house on August 28, 2014 after he returned from Singapore for medical treatment. Dung said he did not expect to see Chuong at his house.

Dung said Chuong gave him a clock as a gift, but he refused to take it. Dung said Chuong tried to leave the clock at his house and left. Dung said there was no money involved. Dung said he would also hire a lawyer to represent him. Endi