Vietnam’s supreme prosecutor’s office is charging eight former officials with embezzlement for allegedly pocketing over VND3.4 billion (US$174,403) in public funds, a source told Thanh Nien Friday.

 

According to the recent indictments, Bui Tien Dung, a former Director at the Ministry of Transport’s Project Management Unit 18 (PMU18), and another seven of his subordinates falsified invoices to reflect work done by non-existent consultants to the Bai Chay Bridge project in Quang Ninh Province.

 

The project began in 1998 with a total investment of VND1.3 trillion ($66.68 million).

 

From August 2003 to February 2006, the defendants siphoned off over VND3.4 billion from the salaries of 26 non-existent workers, according to the indictment.

 

Prosecutors are also charging Do Kim Quy, former Deputy Chief of PMU18, for receiving VND500 million ($25,647) from Dung as a retirement gift.

 

Quy will face charges of “accepting gifts produced by criminal means.”

 

On March 29 the Hanoi’s People’s Court delayed the trial, saying more evidence was needed.

 

Dung is presently serving a 13-year jail sentence handed down to him in 2007 for gambling and bribery in a separate case.

 

On August 3 he also received a three-year jail term for misusing state-owned cars, costing the state VND2.7 billion ($141,695).