US embassy cable - 02HANOI2913

UNCLAS HANOI 002913 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, SOCI, VM, DPOL 
SUBJECT:  GOING AFTER MORE CORRUPT OFFICIALS 
 
REF:  A. HANOI 2777    B.  HANOI 1485 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY.  CONTINUING ITS EFFORTS TO DEMONSTRATE 
SERIOUSNESS IN AN ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE, THE GVN HAS FIRED A 
PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, AND MAY PROSECUTE A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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FORMER CHAIRMAN OF ANOTHER PROVINCE.  A SENIOR COURT 
OFFICIAL HAS ADMITTED PUBLICLY THAT CURRENT PROSECUTIONS ARE 
ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.  THE GVN IS APT TO CONTINUE TO 
MAKE SOME SCAPEGOAT PROSECUTIONS AND HEAVY PENALTIES, 
INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO THE UPCOMING "NAM CAM" 
MAFIA/CORRUPTION TRIALS (NOW DELAYED UNTIL AFTER THE TET 
HOLIDAYS END IN FEBRUARY), BUT IS UNLIKELY TO MAKE MUCH TRUE 
PROGRESS IN ERADICATING CORRUPTION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  PRIME MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI ON NOVEMBER 22 SIGNED 
THE DISMISSAL OF YEN BAI PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE 
CHAIRMAN HOANG TRONG SOAN.  SOAN HAD BEEN IN OFFICE FOR TWO 
YEARS, QUICKLY MAKING A NAME FOR INITIATING ONE HUNDRED NEW 
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, SUPPOSEDLY IN HONOR OF THE 100TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE PROVINCE.  ACCORDING TO 
MEDIA REPORTS, HOWEVER, ALLEGATIONS SOON THEREAFTER BEGAN TO 
FLY THAT SOAN WAS SKIMMING MONEY OFF THE CONSTRUCTION 
BUDGETS, AS WELL AS GENERALLY FAVORING BUSINESSES CONNECTED 
WITH HIS OWN FAMILY MEMBERS.  SOAN HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH 
ANY CRIME, HOWEVER; PM KHAI'S DECISION REFERRED ONLY TO 
"MISTAKES" AND "WRONG-DOING" IN OFFICE. 
 
3.  (U)  LOCAL MEDIA HAS ALSO REPORTED ON AN ONGOING 
INVESTIGATION IN YEN BAI, ALLEGING THAT THE PROVINCIAL 
EXPORT-IMPORT COMPANY SPENT UP TO FIVE BILLION VND (USD 
333,000) TO BRIBE SOAN AND AS MANY AS 68 OTHER PROVINCIAL 
AND CENTRAL GVN OFFICIALS.  ONE FORMER HIGH-RANKING 
PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL, DESCRIBED AS CURRENTLY A SENIOR 
OFFICIAL OF THE STATE INSPECTORATE, REPORTEDLY ALONE 
RECEIVED A BRIBE OF ABOUT 370 MILLION DONG (ALMOST USD 
25,000).  AT LEAST TWENTY OFFICIALS FROM YEN BAI PROVINCE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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MAY FACE PROSECUTION FOR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS CORRUPTION 
CASE, ACCORDING TO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. 
 
4.  (U)  SEPARATELY, THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY IN 
NOVEMBER ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD STARTED A FORMAL CRIMINAL 
INVESTIGATION AGAINST NGO PHU THO, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE 
DONG THAP PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE, ON CHARGES OF 
"IRRESPONSIBILITY" REGARDING A SMUGGLING CASE.  AT A TRIAL 
IN JULY, PROSECUTORS HAD FORMALLY REQUESTED THAT CHARGES BE 
FILED AGAINST THO, WHICH WAS REFUSED DESPITE A REPORT OF THE 
SUPREME PEOPLE'S COURT CRITICIZING THE INVESTIGATION OFFICE 
FOR ITS FAILURE TO PROSECUTE THO IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
 
5.  (U)  AT THE ONGOING SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 
GENERAL PROCURATOR HA MANH TRI PUBLICLY CITED SEVERE 
DIFFICULTIES IN DEALING WITH CORRUPTION CASES, CLAIMING A 
"LACK OF ADEQUATE EVIDENCE" DESPITE CLEAR INDICATIONS OF 
"THOUSANDS" OF CORRUPTION CASES.  SUPREME PEOPLE'S COURT 
PRESIDING JUDGE NGUYEN VAN HIEN, SPEAKING TO PRESS RECENTLY, 
EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE "308 CORRUPTION CASES" 
UNDER TRIAL SO FAR OR HAVING BEEN TRIED ALREADY BY THE COURT 
SYSTEM ONLY "REPRESENTED A TINY NUMBER" OF THE TOTAL CASES. 
JUDGE HIEN CALLED FOR ALL LEGAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, 
ESPECIALLY THE PROCURACY AND THE POLICE, TO BE STRICTER IN 
DEALING WITH CORRUPTION CASES, AND TO USE LEGAL REMEDIES 
INSTEAD OF CONTINUING THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF PRIMARILY 
APPLYING ONLY ADMINISTRATIVE PUNISHMENTS AGAINST CORRUPT 
OFFICIALS. 
 
6.  (U)  COMMENT:  WITH THESE RECENT ACTIONS AS WELL AS THE 
ONGOING INDICTMENTS AND UPCOMING TRIALS OF AT LEAST 155 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN THE NAM CAM MAFIA/CORRUPTION CASE 
(REFTELS) -- WHICH HAS NOW BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL AT LEAST MID- 
FEBRUARY -- THE GVN IS TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE A WILLINGNESS 
TO COMBAT CORRUPTION AT ALL LEVELS.  DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER 
NGUYEN TAN DUNG, HOWEVER, RECENTLY PUBLICLY DRESSED DOWN A 
SENIOR POLICE OFFICIAL FOR SUGGESTING THAT OFFICIALS ABOVE 
THE DEPUTY MINISTER LEVEL MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE NAM CAM 
CASE AND MIGHT FACE PROSECUTION; THE POLICE OFFICIAL 
SUBSEQUENTLY CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN MISQUOTED.  PUNISHMENT AND 
PROSECUTIONS OF CORRUPT OFFICIALS ARE WELCOME STEPS, BUT ARE 
UNLIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL EITHER IN MAKING GENUINE PROGRESS 
TOWARD ERADICATING OFFICIAL CORRUPTION OR IN CONVINCING THE 
PUBLIC THAT THE GVN IS TRULY SERIOUS IN THIS EFFORT. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED