The Ministry of Public Security is hunting for Dong Xuan Phong, 38, a former anti-smuggling officer in Hai Phong City, who helped Duong Chi Dung, former chairman of Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), hide from police until his arrest early last month. Dung, 55, who was also former director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, was arrested on September 4 under an international wanted notice for his alleged economic offenses when he was board chairman of state-owned Vinalines. After his arrest, the ministry’s investigation agency found that a number of people, including Phong, had helped Dung hide from police after Dung fled on May 17. Phong has been indicted for “hiding criminals”, but he fled his residence in mid-July and has been missing ever since, police said. The ministry has called on those who helped conceal Dung to turn themselves in to police soon to receive clemency. Before hiding, Phong had been summoned by police for questioning about a case involving the smuggling of electronic products, police added. As previously reported, Dung was nabbed in another Southeast Asian nation and was extradited to Vietnam by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). According to the ministry’s investigation agency, Dung “intentionally flouted state regulations on economic management, leading to serious consequences” when selecting bidders to provide a floating dock worth millions of dollars for Vinalines during his term at the corporation. The agency has also accused Dung and his accomplices of going against the Prime Minister’s directives on the construction of a Vinalines ship repair facility in southern Vietnam. In particular, Dung approved the building of the facility in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with a total investment of VND3.8 trillion (US$185 million) in June 2007 without formal permission from the Premier. Vinalines then raised the construction cost to VND6.5 trillion ($311 million) before initiating the construction work in July 2011 with a mere VND616 billion ($29.6 million) in hand, even though the corporation had failed to secure funding deals with any lenders. It was then found that the state firm wasted almost VND514 billion ($24.6 million) of the available cash while buying a floating dock from Russia. Signs of corruption have been identified in this spending.