The Hanoi People’s Court on December 16 sentenced to death two former executives of the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) who went on trial on December 12.

Former Chairman Duong Chi Dung and former General Director Mai Van Phuc were given the highest penalty for embezzlement, and an 18-year prison sentence for intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences.

Tran Huu Chieu, former Vice General Director of Vinalines, was sentenced to 19 years behind bars, while Tran Hai Son, Director of Vinalines Ship Repair Co. Ltd, got 22 years in jail, on the same charges.

The Court also gave sentences of four years in prison to Bui Thi Bich Loan, Vinalines’ former chief accountant; and seven years to Mai Van Khang, a member of the Vinalines project management board, and Le Van Duong, a former official at Vietnam Registry.

Huynh Huu Duc, Le Ngoc Trien and Le Van Lung, former officials at Van Phong Customs Office, Khanh Hoa province, will spend eight years behind bars.

The six were charged with intentionally violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences.

In addition, Dung and Phuc were asked to pay back VND10 billion (US$470,000) they had embezzled and have to pay VND100 billion (US$4.7 million) Vinalines for damages they had made.

Chieu has to pay over VND39 billion (US$1.83 million); Son, over US$46 billion (US$2.16 million); Khang, VND12 billion (US$564,000D); Loan, VND6 billion (US$282,000); Duong, over VND15 billion (US$705,000); and Duc, Trieu and Lung, VND9 billion (US$423,000) each.

Moreover, the Court decided to seize Dung’s three houses in Hanoi and Phuc’s house in Quang Ninh.

According to the indictment issued at the court, during 2007-2008, Dung and his accomplices violated regulations on investment, bidding and customs procedures for import and export through the purchase and repair of Floating Dock 83M. The malpractice caused losses of VND366.9 billion (US$17.2 million) to the State budget.

In the deal, Dung and three others, namely Mai Van Phuc, Tran Huu Chieu and Tran Hai Son, appropriated US$1.666 million.

The indictment said while knowing that the floating dock, built in 1965, was damaged and had not been in use since 2006, and that the owner offered a negotiable price of under US$5 million, Dung still signed Decision 186/QD-HDQT on February 15, 2008 approving the purchase of the dock at a price tag of US$9 million from an intermediary, the Singapore-based AP company, which bought the dock from its real owner at only US$2.3 million.

Dung was arrested on September 4, 2012 after several months on the run since May 17, 2012 when an indictment and arrest warrant were issued for him.

VNA