A court of appeal began in Hanoi on April 22 against Duong Chi Dung, former chairman of the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), who was charged with embezzlement and violation of State regulations on economic management.

Eight other defenders, including Mai Van Phuc, former General Director of Vinalines, were also brought to the court.

At the first instance trial in December 2013, the Hanoi-based Supreme People’s Court sentenced Dung and Phuc to death, and handed down jail sentences to seven other defenders.

All the defenders later lodged appeals against the court’s ruling.

Duong Chi Dung and 8 other defenders inside the courtroom

According to the indictment at the first instance court, Dung signed a deal to purchase Russia's Floating Dock 83M for a shipyard in the south, knowing that the floating dock, built in 1965, was damaged and had not been in use since 2006.

Though the owner offered a negotiable price of under US$5 million, Dung still approved 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.

The malpractice caused losses of VND366.9 billion (US$17.2 million) to the State budget. In the deal, Dung, Phuc and two other Vinalines executives, Tran Huu Chieu and Tran Hai Son, appropriated US$1.666 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.  

VOV/VNN