Ex-Viet official gets 14 years' jail for graft

HANOI - VIETNAM yesterday handed a heavier-than-expected jail sentence to a former vice-trade minister found guilty of receiving thousands of dollars in bribes involving garment and textile exports to the United States.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced Mai Van Dau to 14 years in jail. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of between 10 and 12 years in prison.

The 14 defendants in the trial were the latest among dozens of officials prosecuted for graft in recent years as Vietnam's ruling Communist Party makes fighting corruption one of its major policies.

A year ago, the party was rocked by a corruption scandal in a big-budget road and bridge building agency that led to the resignation of the transport minister.

Dau was found guilty of taking US$6,000 (S$9,000) in bribes from textile manufacturers who sought export quotas above the amount permitted by government regulations.

Dau, who was arrested in November 2004 while he was vice-minister of trade, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His son, Mai Thanh Hai, a former official at the export/import department of the Trade Ministry, was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud.

The former vice-minister's aide, Le Van Thang, a former deputy director at the same department, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for abuse of power and graft.

The other 11 defendants received sentences, from suspended terms to up to 12 years in pri-

son.

The country's textile and garment exports to the United States surged to US$2.6 billion in 2005 from US$48 million in 2001 after the two countries signed a free trade deal that year, slashing import tariffs.