On January 7, 2014, the Hanoi People’s Court will try seven defendants, including ex-deputy director of Hai Phong City Police, for helping Duong Chi Dung, ex-chairman of state-owned shipping corporation Vinalines, leave Vietnam to avoid arrest for corruption.

Trong, 52, who is Dung’s younger brother, and his accomplices will be tried for two days on charges of “organizing other persons to flee abroad illegally,” chief judge of the court, Nguyen Huu Chinh, said on Wednesday.  At his hearing on December 17, 2013, Dung, who is also former head of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, was sentenced to death on charges of “intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences,” and “embezzlement.” Dung, 56, committed such offenses when he was chairman of the state-owned Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines). After the wrongdoings by Dung and others at Vinalines were uncovered and many officials involved were arrested, Dung fled Vietnam in May 2012 with the support of several police officers led by his brother Trong. Dung was hunted internationally and was arrested in Cambodia on September 4, 2012. He was later extradited to Vietnam. According to the indictment issued by the Supreme People’s Procuracy, on the afternoon of May 17, 2012, Dung received a tip that he would be arrested and prosecuted. He then contacted Trong for help. Trong asked Dung to firstly come and stay at the house of Trong’s girlfriend in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District. Trong later asked Vu Tien Son, ex-deputy head of the Social Crime Investigation Police Department under the Hai Phong Police, to collude with five others to arrange for Dung to be taken by car from Hanoi to the northern Quang Ninh Province with a view to send Dung to China. However, Dung changed his mind and Trong asked his subordinates to carry his brother to go south by car to Moc Bai Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province, where Dung fled to Cambodia on May 23, 2012.