Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy on October 18 sentenced Huynh Ngoc Si, former director of the Japan-funded East-West Highway project to life imprisonment. Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy on October 18 sentenced Huynh Ngoc Si, former deputy director of the HCM City Transport Department and director of the Japan-funded East-West Highway and HCM City Water Environment projects to life imprisonment.

Huynh Ngoc Si at the court.

The judging panel decided to seize Si’s two houses in District 3, HCM City and forced Si to return the $262,000-worth bribe to the State budget. The court also told the police to continue their investigation of six instances when Si took bribges from a Japanese company, PCI.

The verdict was passed at 9.45am, on October 18 in HCM City. Earlier, the court sentenced Si to six years in jail for “abusing power”.

Si took bribes worth US$262,000 from officials of the Japanese company Pacific Consultants International (PCI).

Last year a Tokyo court sentenced former PCI president Masayoshi Taga to a suspended jail term after convicting him of bribing Si.

Japanese media reported that former PCI executives admitted paying Si $820,000 in bribes.

Three former PCI executives in addition to Taga were given suspended prison terms and the company was fined 70 million yen ($774,193) over bribes to secure the road contracts in question.

Japan, Vietnam’s biggest bilateral donor, resumed aid loans to Vietnam one year ago after suspending them during the PCI scandal.

Si is already serving a six-year jail term for “abuse of power” conviction. He was sentenced to three years in September last year for pocketing $2,900 in office rent to PCI. In March this year a court of appeal increased his jail term to six years.

Si’s deputy, Le Qua, was also ordered to serve five years, up from an original two.

He and Qua were charged with renting state offices to PCI between 2001 and 2002 for a total of US$80,000 but not including the money in official accounts.

The two officials deducted VND350 million ($18,227) for “receptions”, divided the rest among dozens of employees and managers, while each pocketed about VND53 million themselves, a court ruled in September.

Timelines for Huynh Ngoc Si case:

31/1/2005: The Japan-funded HCM City East-West avenue project was initiated.

25/6/2008: Japan’s Yomirui Daily reported that PCI was investigated for financial scandals and bribing officials in Southeast Asia, including officials of the HCM City East-West avenue project.

9/2008: Investigators of the Ministry of Public Security went to HCM City to verify the information on Yomirui Daily.

19/11/2008: Huynh Ngoc Si was suspended from his position.

11/2/2009: Police arrested Si and prosecuted Si and his assistant Qua for abusing power. The two were transferred to Hanoi for the investigation.

24/9/2009: HCM City People’s Court judged Si and Qua for abusing power and sentenced Si to three years in prison and Qua to two years in prison.

9/10/2009: HCM City People’s Procuracy asked to impose higher penalty on Si and Qua.

25/1/2010: Si was prosecuted for taking bribe.

17/3/2010: HCM City Supreme People’s Court sentenced Si to six years in jail and Qua to five years in jail for abusing power.

15/10/2010: HCM City People’s Court trialed Si for taking bribe.

18/10/2010: The court sentenced Si to life imprisonment for taking bribe.

PV