After being sentenced to death for corruption, former Vinalines leader Duong Chi Dung confessed in court that he gave a police deputy minister a total of US$1,510,000 in bribes in 2012, but the court deemed there was not enough proof regarding this claim to take legal action. 

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Dung made the confession on January 8 when he appeared as a witness in the hearing opened by Hanoi’s People’s Court for his brother, ex-Colonel Duong Tu Trong, and six others who had helped him flee to avoid being arrested for corruption in May 2012. Trong was sentenced to 18 years in prison, and the six others received sentences of various lengths. Dung, who was sentenced to death on December 17, 2013 on charges of “intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences” and “embezzlement,” also told the court that the incumbent police deputy minister, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Quy Ngo, informed him that he had been prosecuted and was about to be seized on May 17, 2012. Dung later fled abroad and was hunted internationally before being arrested on September 4, 2012.  After Dung revealed in detail that Ngo gave him the tip-off and advised him to hide, the court ordered that legal proceedings be taken for the “disclosing State secrets” case based on his testimony.No sufficient evidence for alleged bribery Dung also told the court that he had offered bribes to many high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Public Security to avoid being investigated over the purchase of an old floating dock from Russia at unusually high prices.

Dung said he visited Ngo’s family in Tuan Chau, Quang Ninh Province on April 29, 2012, where he told Ngo about the purchase of the dock and asked him for help. He then sent Ngo an envelope containing US$10,000. After that, on May 2, 2012, Dung visited Ngo’s home and offered him a bag containing US$500,000, Dung told the court. Also according to Dung’s confession, on May 6th, Dung took Ngo’s son Hung to the home of Colonel Tran Duy Thanh, head of the Ministry of Public Security’s Corruption Crime Investigation Police Department, and gave Thanh $20,000 and a bottle of liquor. Dung also confessed that he received US$1 million from Mrs. Truong My Lan, director of HCMC-based Van Thinh Phat, to give to Ngo. This amount was related to a project at the Saigon Port, Dung said.Investigation needed Judge Truong Viet Toan, who chaired the trial for Trong and six others on Wednesday, said, “Regarding Dung’s testimonies regarding bribery between him and the deputy minister, the jury finds that there is not enough proof for the court to order a commencement of legal proceedings into this bribery case.” However, the jury has asked the Hanoi People’s Procuracy to launch an investigation to clarify Dung’s testimonies to determine whether Ngo actually received a total of US$1,510,000. If Dung’s allegations are proven true, those who are involved in the bribery will be punished under applicable laws, judge Toan said. With the same view, Nguyen Van Chung, head of HCMC’s District 3 People’s Procuracy, said that all of Dung’s confessions must be seen as a source of reporting crime, according to Article 101 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Such a source must be referred to a competent agency for investigation, Chung said.