Vietnamese People’s Super Procuracy, the country’s highest justice office, has pressed charges of power abuse against the former head of a state-owned firm.

Tran Duc Mau, 33, the accused, was general director of the agriculture ministry’s Irrigation Construction Corporation No.4 and in charge of the construction site of Song Tranh No.2 Hydropower Plant in the northern province of Quang Ninh in 2007.

According to the indictment, Mau made payment difficult for the material supplier, Song Da 12 – Cao Cuong Joint-stock Company.

Nguyen Van Luan, director of Hai Phong City-based Cat Phu Company, which was in charge of delivery and payment for the supplier, offered to bribe Mau with VND500 million ($23,917), prosecutors said.

Last September, although he wasn’t in charge of contracts with the supplier anymore, Mau still demanded VND300 million ($14,454) from Luan.

He was caught red-handed receiving the money from Luan at a hotel in Hanoi by police from the Ministry of Public Security.