A Central Steering Board for Corruption Combating senior official said that the board will keep an eye on the bribery case of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam’s deputy general director.

Mr. Vu Tien Chien.

The vice chief of the Central Steering Board for Corruption Combating, Vu Tien Chien, said that the case of BIDV’s Doan Tien Dung is very serious. Dung is accused of taking bribes worth 1 billion dong.

“We congratulate Hanoi authorities in taking drastic action. This case is a success in combating corruption,” Chien said. He said this is a very serious case but it did not surprise him.

BIDV’s deputy general director Dung was detained on February 3 for allegedly receiving bribes. According to sources, Dung was arrested under orders from the Ministry of Public Security.

The 54-year-old, who has been BIDV deputy general director since September 2008 after being director of the branch in the coastal city of Hai Phong, was caught red-handed by Hanoi’s economic police on February 2 while he was receiving nearly VND1 billion (US$54,000) from a company whose name is yet to be released.

A BIDV official from the Hai Phong branch was also detained for involvement in the case and BIDV’s leaders have confirmed the arrest, but refused to make information or comment on the case.

BIDV, a state commercial joint stock bank, is among the four largest banks in the country.

PV