Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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           Senior Vietnamese Official Identified in Corruption Trial

   A former executive of a Vietnamese state-owned shipping firm who was
   sentenced to death last month for embezzlement, says Deputy Minister of
   Public Affairs Nguyen Quy Ngo informed him of the order to prosecute
   him, prompting him to flee overseas to avoid being arrested.
   Duong Chi Dung, made the confession as a witness at the trial of his
   younger brother Duong Tu Trong, who is charged for helping him escape
   to Cambodia, where the disgraced executive was caught and extradited
   back to Vietnam.
   The revelation has rocked Vietnam`s political arena and sparked heated
   debate on social networks.
   Trong`s defense lawyer, Nguyen Dinh Hung, told VOA`s Vietnamese service
   the confession will turn the case around for his client.
   "They can not conclude that my client [Trong] masterminded the flight
   of Duong Chi Dung when a high ranking official had told him to flee. If
   his confession is proved to be true, there is an intervention of an
   official at a higher level in the case. It is unfair for my client."
   In an interview with online newspaper VnExpress, Deputy Minister Ngo
   denied his involvement.
   "It is fabricated. Where is the evidence? I am the head of the
   investigation [into Vinalines scandal]. How can I tip him off?"
   Prosecutors have reportedly asked the judge to press charges against
   Ngo for leaking secrets.
   The trial resumes on January 8 and verdict is expected later that day.
   Duong Chi Dung and another executive of the state-owned Vinalines, Mai
   Van Phuc, were found guilty of siphoning off $950,000 and mismanaging
   state funds to the detriment of the country`s economy. They were both
   sentenced to death last month.
   (This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Vietnamese
   service.)
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/senior-vietnamese-official-identified
   -in-corruption-trial/1825117.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/senior-vietnamese-official-identified-in-corruption-trial/1825117.html