A former senior transport official currently serving jail terms totaling 16 years for gambling and others crimes will stand trial Monday in Hanoi on embezzlement charges related to a Japanese-funded bridge project.

According to the indictment issued by the People’s Supreme Procuracy, BuiTien Dung, former director of the Ministry of Transport’s Project Management Unit 18 (PMU18), and seven of his subordinates falsified documents to reflect work done by non-existent consultants to the Bai Chay Bridge project in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

From August 2003 to February 2007, the ring siphoned off over VND3.4 billion (US$165,530) as salaries for 26 non-existent workers.

Dung’s subordinates will also face charges of embezzlement, while Do Kim Quy, former Deputy Chief of PMU18, will face charge of “accepting gifts produced by criminal means.”

Prosecutors said when Quy retired in May, 2005, Dung gave him VND500 million ($24,342) as a retirement gift.

Dung, 52, is presently serving a 13 year jail sentence handed down to him in 2007 for gambling and bribery, and a three year jail term for misusing state-owned cars, costing the state VND2.7 billion ($132,000).