Ex-PMU 18 officials go on trial again
HA NOI — The Ha Noi People's Court yesterday began trying former officials at the Transport Ministry's Project Management Unit 18 (PMU 18) for deliberately acting against the State's regulations and abusing power. Former General Director of PMU 18 Bui Tien Dung is being charged with "deliberately acting against the State's regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences" under Article 165 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, his accomplices – Vu Manh Tien, Le Thi Thanh Hoa, Nguyen Thanh Son and Bui Thu Hanh – are facing the charge of "abusing positions and powers while performing official duties" in accordance with Article 281 of the Penal Code.
According to the Supreme People's Procuracy's indictment, during his term of office from 1998-2005, Dung lent seven cars for unofficial purposes, leading to the loss of almost VND2.7 billion (US$142,000). He himself is alleged to have used two other cars without authority.
Tien, Hoa, Son and Hanh are also accused of signing inflated house and car-hire contracts and making false payrolls to pocket hundreds of millions of dong when carrying out a project to upgrade National Highway No 18.
The trial is scheduled to last three days. — VNS