Three prosecuted for receiving bribes

DONG NAI — Police in the southern province of Dong Nai on Thursday prosecuted three staff members of the Dau Giay weighing station in Trang Bom District for receiving bribes.

Police had previously caught the three staff members receiving bribes totalling VND9.8 million (US$500) from truck drivers. The three people received temporary jail sentences of four months each.

21 people poisoned after eating chicken

DA NANG — Central Da Nang City's General Hospital admitted 21 people, including nine children, with food poisoning after eating chicken meat on Thursday.

The chicken meat was too old for consumption, said Nguyen Minh Tien, head of the city's Food Hygiene and Safety Department.

The patients, all from Thanh Khe District's Xuan Ha Ward, have all recovered.

Orphans, disadvantaged celebrate Mid-Autumn

HCM CITY — Around 500 orphans and disadvantaged children from 10 orphanages and charity centers in the city gathered yesterday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival on the premises of the Hoa Binh Tourism Company in District 3.

The Mid-Autumn festival was also celebrated at the Central Circus in Ha Noi with the participation of 500 children from the Birla, SOS and Hoa Binh villages.

The children participating in these events were given gift packs containing moon cakes, lanterns, stationery and toiletry items. A total of VND500 million ($26,000) was spent on the festivals in both places.

200-seat bus pilot scheme under way

HA NOI — The Ha Noi Transport Department is piloting the use of new 200-seat buses on the Noi Bai-My Dinh bus route.

The new buses, launched on Thursday, will be put into use on other routes in the city after the pilot programme ends by November.

Hoan Kiem turtle suffers new wound

HA NOI — Turtle expert Ha Dinh Duc has confirmed that the giant turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake has suffered a new wound, allegedly caused by a fishing hook.

The expert drew the conclusion after studying a recent photo of the turtle taken on Wednesday.

Last week, several people raised concerns over the turtle, which had been spotted emerging from the lake several times.

Duc said the lake would be dredged and cleaned in October. — VNS

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Former district head sentenced to 26 years in jail

A court in Ho Chi Minh City Friday handed down a 26-year-jail term to the former head of Hoc Mon District for accepting VND1.4-billion (US$71,942) in bribes and abusing power to approve two infrastructure projects.

Nguyen Van Khoe was also found guilty of abusing his official capacity to influence others and appropriate property.

Previously prosecutors had said the former of Hoc Mon People’s Committee may face the death sentence for the charges filed against him.

Khoe was convicted of receiving bribes from Tran Thi Ha, former director of Thanh Phat Company and her deputy Ha Van Hoa to approve a housing estate and an industrial zone in the district’s Dong Thanh Commune in late 2002 and early 2003.

He also asked them for cash and gifts worth a total of $15,000 and VND780 million ($40,082) to bribe other officials to secure the approval, despite the fact that Thinh Phat didn’t have the financial capability to build them, the trial heard.

Tran Van Te, former chairman of Dong Thanh People’s Committee, was sentenced to 13 years in prison also for power abuse and receiving bribes.

Duong Minh Trung, former chief of Hoc Mon District Division of Planning and Investment, and Nguyen Van Do, another former official from Dong Thanh Commune, were given seven year imprisonment and three year suspended sentence respectively for abuse of power.

Dang Cong Danh, former director of Danh Khoa Company, meanwhile, received eight years for brokering bribes between Khoe and the husband and wife team of Ha and Hoa.

According to the court, with approval for the two projects, Ha and Hoa also secured loans of 3,000 taels (approximate 3,600 ounces) of gold and VND18 billion from the Cho Lon Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank).

The scheme was a scam with the bank as the victim, the HCMC People’s Court said, sentencing the married couple to life for “offering bribes” and “committing fraud to appropriate properties.”

Ha and Hoa were ordered to pay back the loans as compensation to Agribank, but as the bank didn’t claim the compensation at the trial, the gold and money would be transferred to the state budget, the court said.

The court also handed down a 12-year jail term to Tran Van Tuyen, former director of the bank’s branch for violating lending regulations.

Tuyen’s subordinate, Luu Thi Minh Hieu, was given 10 years on the same charges, while Nguyen Cong Dinh, a bank employee, was sentenced to seven years in prison for receiving bribes.

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Former district head sentenced to 26 years in jail

A court in Ho Chi Minh City Friday handed down a 26-year-jail term to the former head of Hoc Mon District for accepting VND1.4-billion (US$71,942) in bribes and abusing power to approve two infrastructure projects.

Nguyen Van Khoe was also found guilty of abusing his official capacity to influence others and appropriate property.

Previously prosecutors had said the former of Hoc Mon People’s Committee may face the death sentence for the charges filed against him.

Khoe was convicted of receiving bribes from Tran Thi Ha, former director of Thanh Phat Company and her deputy Ha Van Hoa to approve a housing estate and an industrial zone in the district’s Dong Thanh Commune in late 2002 and early 2003.

He also asked them for cash and gifts worth a total of $15,000 and VND780 million ($40,082) to bribe other officials to secure the approval, despite the fact that Thinh Phat didn’t have the financial capability to build them, the trial heard.

Tran Van Te, former chairman of Dong Thanh People’s Committee, was sentenced to 13 years in prison also for power abuse and receiving bribes.

Duong Minh Trung, former chief of Hoc Mon District Division of Planning and Investment, and Nguyen Van Do, another former official from Dong Thanh Commune, were given seven year imprisonment and three year suspended sentence respectively for abuse of power.

Dang Cong Danh, former director of Danh Khoa Company, meanwhile, received eight years for brokering bribes between Khoe and the husband and wife team of Ha and Hoa.

According to the court, with approval for the two projects, Ha and Hoa also secured loans of 3,000 taels (approximate 3,600 ounces) of gold and VND18 billion from the Cho Lon Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank).

The scheme was a scam with the bank as the victim, the HCMC People’s Court said, sentencing the married couple to life for “offering bribes” and “committing fraud to appropriate properties.”

Ha and Hoa were ordered to pay back the loans as compensation to Agribank, but as the bank didn’t claim the compensation at the trial, the gold and money would be transferred to the state budget, the court said.

The court also handed down a 12-year jail term to Tran Van Tuyen, former director of the bank’s branch for violating lending regulations.

Tuyen’s subordinate, Luu Thi Minh Hieu, was given 10 years on the same charges, while Nguyen Cong Dinh, a bank employee, was sentenced to seven years in prison for receiving bribes.

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