Bui Tien Dung, former director of the transport ministry’s PMU18

The trial of five former Project Management Unit 18 (PMU18) officials was suspended on its opening day Thursday as the Hanoi court ordered more investigations before proceeding.

He was charged with deliberate and serious violations of state regulations on economic management.

But Dung argued that the losses assessed were too high.

According to Clause 3 of Article 165 in Vietnam’s Criminal Law, a person who commits a crime that causes the state more than VND1 billion ($56,300) in losses can be jailed for 10-20 years.

In a separate trial of a related case in 2007, Dung had been sentenced to 13 years in jail for gambling and bribery.

In the latest trial, four other PMU18 officials – Vu Manh Tien, Le Thi Thanh Hoa, Nguyen Thanh Son, and Bui Thu Hanh – were charged alongside Dung.

The four, all charged with embezzlement, have denied the accusations.

Police said Tien had appropriated VND690 million (US$38,800), Hoa and her late husband Pham Tien Dung VND516 million, Son VND225 million, and Hanh VND88 million.

Investigators said the four had pocketed the money by forging documents to rent out cars and houses, investigators said.

After the defendants’ denials, Judge Le Thi Hop decided to suspend the trial until investigators could come back with more evidence.

Reported by Ngoc Duc – Thai Son