Vietnamese waterway officials sentenced up to 13 years in prison for corruption

People's Court in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Wednesday sentenced officials of the state-run Vietnam Waterway Construction Corporation (Vinawaco) up to 13 years in prison for charge of taking bribery.

After a three-day first instance trial, the court sentenced Pham Dinh Hoa, born in 1973, former Vinawaco market planning manager, to 13-year imprisonment and Ho Thanh Nghia, born in 1979, former Vinawaco project board manager, to eight years and six months in prison for the same charge of "taking bribery."

Upon request of Hoa and Nghia, local Tan Viet company gave them some 800 million Vietnamese dong (over 35,800 U.S. dollars) in order to gain the bid, the state-run news agency VNA quoted the indictment as saying.

Meanwhile, both Trinh Van Thang, born in 1982, former director of Tan Viet company, and Vu Thanh Huyen, born in 1967, former Chairman of the Managing Board of Tan Viet company, was sentenced to 24 years and 22 years in prison, respectively, for the same charge of "giving bribery" and "fraudulent appropriation of assets."

According to the indictment, Thang and Huyen had given money to Vinawaco officials to win the bid. While implementing the project, they made fraudulent appropriation of nearly 7.9 billion Vietnamese dong (354,200 U.S. dollars).

In addition, other four defendants who used to be officials of Vinawaco Maritime Management Unit faced sentences of 20 to 24 months in prison for the charge of "irresponsibility causing serious consequences." Endit