Former Vietnamese legislator brought to court

A former deputy of the National Assembly of Vietnam, the country's top legislature, is facing trial on the charge of taking advantages of position and power while conducting official duty, local newspaper Pioneers reported Friday.

Under an indictment at the three-day trial opening on Thursday at the People's Court of northern Thai Binh province, Mac Kim Ton, also former director of the provincial Department of Education and Training, received commission of 172 million Vietnamese dong (VND) (10,750 U.S. dollars) after facilitating the implementation of a bogus project on equipping 46 schools and education bureaus in the province with computers from late 2005 to June 2006.

One of Ton's acquaintances, Tran Thi Anh, told schools she could help them benefit from a foreign-funded project on equipping educational establishments in the province with computers and projectors. Then, Anh bought on credit a total of 435 desktop computers, 35 laptops and 28 projectors worth more than four billion VND (250,000 dollars) from five local computer suppliers to implement the project she made up.

To receive the equipment, many schools gave cash to Ton and Anh as commission. The indictment alleged that Ton received 151 million VND (9,440 dollars), and Anh 462 million VND (2,890 dollars). Anh offered Ton gifts worth 21 million VND (1,310 dollars) for his participation in the bogus project.

Anh has not paid the computer firms, so in addition to the charge of "swindling", she has been prosecuted for " misappropriating property."

After the case was detected, Ton was relieved from his posts, and detained for four months.

Source: Xinhua