The Vietnamese businesswoman Truong My Lan was sentenced to death yesterday by a court in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing to an expected end one of the country’s largest-ever corruption cases. The wealthy 68-year-old, who headed real estate company Van Thinh Phat (VTP), is accused of using “thousands of ghost companies” to embezzle 304 trillion … Read more
Vietnam’s National Assembly has accepted the resignation of Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong, who has become the second president to step down in as many years amid a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign. In a statement yesterday, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) announced that it had accepted Thuong’s resignation from all official … Read more
Vietnamese prosecutors are calling for the death sentence for the businesswoman who allegedly masterminded the biggest fraud in the country’s history, state media reported yesterday. Truong My Lan, 68, the chairperson of the Ho Chi Minh City-based real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, is accused of using “thousands of ghost companies” to embezzle … Read more
Vietnam yesterday opened its trial in the case of the real estate tycoon Truong My Lan, who faces the death penalty in one of the country’s largest-ever corruption cases. The 66-year-old, who headed real estate company Van Thinh Phat, is accused of using “thousands of ghost companies” to embezzle an eye-popping 304 trillion dong ($12.54 … Read more
Similar to other authoritarian regimes worldwide, the survival of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) hinges on the support of ordinary citizens. Initially, the CPV sought widespread legitimacy and support through a combination of nationalism and communism. However, the near collapse of the economy in the 1980s led to disillusionment regarding ideology-based legitimacy, prompting the … Read more
Outside my window, as I write, snow is falling in clods, scattering powder on the ground I fear won’t last until the 25th. Christmastime is upon us and, naturally, a worn-down copy of “A Christmas Carol” is being thumbed through a chapter per day in the Hutt household. Concurrently, I’m also reading, less merrily, the … Read more
In the heart of Vietnam, where ancient traditions intertwine with modern aspirations, a curious symbol has emerged as a stark representation of the country’s deep-rooted corruption: the Styrofoam box. These humble containers, once used to transport everyday items such as fresh produce and packaged goods, have become synonymous with the brazen acts of bribery and … Read more
The head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has pledged to broaden and deepen its campaign against corruption, a week after police revealed the scale of an ongoing graft investigation worth an estimated $12.5 billion. “We need to conduct the anti-corruption fight faster in a more efficient manner,” CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong … Read more
On November 14, police in Thai Binh province detained a National Assembly delegate, Luu Binh Nhuong, on suspected charges of corruption. The accusations are odd, but it appears that Nhuong has been charged with illegally mining sand and forcing businesses to buy it, and has been linked to someone already convicted of a similar crime. … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia Among the most prominent officials were high-ranking members of the ministries of foreign affairs, public health, and public security. Advertisement On Friday, one of Vietnam’s largest-ever bribery cases concluded with hefty prison terms for 54 people, including a former deputy foreign minister and several senior diplomats. They were accused and convicted of … Read more