Economic wrongdoing cases detected in Vietnam so far this year have caused a total loss of nearly 396. 4 million U.S. dollars to the state budget, local newspaper Young People reported Friday.

A total of 346 inspection cases have been conducted since the beginning of this year, detecting economic wrongdoing worth 6,267 billion Vietnamese dong (roughly 391.7 million dollars), nearly 4. 2 million dollars, and 395,890 euros (over 475,000 dollars), the paper quoted reports of the Government Inspectorate as saying.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security has investigated 7, 772 economic crimes, of which 338 corruption cases have been prosecuted, said the report.

In a scandal in the Project Management Unit No. 18 (PMU18) under the Transport Ministry, 17 organizations and 40 individuals, including a minister and a deputy minister, have been criticized. The PMU 18's General Director Bui Tien Dung was arrested in January for spending millions of dollars on betting international soccer matches. He has been prosecuted for gambling, giving and receiving bribery, and intentionally acting counter to state regulations in economic management.

Under a decision made by Vietnam's top legislature, the National Assembly, on Thursday, the country is going to establish an anti- corruption department under the Ministry of Public Security.

Source: Xinhua