Former officials stand trial in Lao Cai

The trial of a former provincial people’s committee member; senior customs and police officers and company executives for alleged tobacco smuggling started in the Lao Cai Provincial Court on Wednesday.

The accused are former Lao Cai People’s Committee deputy chairman Nguyen Ngoc Kim; former Lao Cai Customs Department director Dinh Ba Anh, former Bat Xat District Customs Department directors Uong Manh Hung and Pham Xuan Thuong, former custom vice directors Do Dang Khoa and Nguyen Van Du; former police lieutenant colonels Ta Manh Dung and Dinh Van Minh, and former Thien Loi Hoa Company director Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lien and her deputy Nguyen Huy Tan.

Prosecutors told the judges that Nguyen Thi Lien had help establish the Thien Loi Hoa Company which had duplicated import contracts with a Chinese company to bring illegal tobacco leaf into Viet Nam after quotas were introduced in 2004.

The company had imported at least 14,000 tonnes of tobacco and avoided tax totalling VND7.2 billion (US$450,000 million) through having it smuggled across the Viet Nam-China border.

Provincial People’s Committee deputy chairman Nguyen Ngoc Kim had signed 14 licences for it and other businesses to import tobacco leaf in contravention of the Custom Law and State regulations.

Police say the company paid him VND85 million ($5,300).

They say the company also paid bribes of VND1.3 billion,( more than $81,000), to 16 customs officers.

The trial is expected to continue for a month 

(Vietnam News)


Brief News - Feb. 29

1. Some 300 workers at Trung Nguyen coffee processing factory in Daklak Province went on strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, demanding a pay rise. Workers said they were paid VND700,000 to VND900,000 a month only. (LD) 

2. Police yesterday detained board chairman of the State-run construction company Cosevco, and inspected his house as the executive is alleged of involvement in financial irregularities in his company. 

(Saigon Times Daily)