Head of Vietnamese investigation agency relieved from post

Major-general Cao Ngoc Oanh, head of the Investigation Agency under Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security, has been relieved from his post due to his alleged involvement in a transport ministry scandal, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

The General Directorate of Police under the ministry on Monday decided to relieve him, who is also deputy head of the directorate, from the post. Oanh still holds the post of deputy head of the directorate until investigation results come out.

Local media have recently said underlings of Bui Tien Dung, general director of the Project Management Unit No. 18 (PMU18) under the Transport Ministry, had attempted to use some 500,000 U. S. dollars to bribe some influential figures, including Oanh, so that they would campaign for slighter charges against Bui Tien Dung.

One of the underlings is Oanh's acquaintance. However, there has been no evidence against Oanh so far, the newspaper said.

Early this month, the Vietnamese government instructed the Ministry of Public Security Le Hong Anh not to let Oanh maintain his posts.

Bui Tien Dung, detained in January for spending over 2.6 million U.S. dollars on making bets on international soccer matches, has been prosecuted for four charges, namely gambling, intentionally acting counter to state regulations in economic management, giving and receiving bribes.

Since January, local investigators have detected some other wrongdoings of Bui Tien Dung, his underlings and superiors, including a deputy transport minister.

Source: Xinhua