Hanoi’s People’s Court on January 7 began the trial of former Deputy Director of the northern port city of Hai Phong's Police Department, Duong Tu Trong, for helping Duong Chi Dung, ex-chairman of State-owned shipping corporation Vinalines, flee Vietnam in May 2012.

The ex-police boss, who is Dung’s younger brother, and his six accomplices, including four dismissed police officers, have been charged with “organising for other persons to flee abroad”.

The prosecutors asked for between 18-20 years in jail for Trong and sentences ranging from 5-6 to 17-18 years for the others.

Trong’s six accomplices are Vu Tien Son, ex-Deputy Head of the Social Crime Investigation Police Section; Nguyen Trong Anh, Son’s former subordinate; Hoang Van Thang, a former officer of the Environmental Crime Investigation Police Section; Dong Xuan Phong, a former official at Hai Phong City Customs Department; Pham Minh Tuan, former Director of Bach Dang Enterprise in Hai Phong City; and Tran Van Dung, 45, aka Dung “Bac Kan”, a resident in Hai Phong’s Hong Bang district.

Duong Chi Dung, who was sentenced to death on charges of intentionally violating State regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences, and embezzlement at a trial in December last year, appeared in court as a witness.

According to the indictment, after receiving a tip that his brother Dung would be arrested and prosecuted, Trong colluded with his accomplices to arrange for Dung to escape to Cambodia from Moc Bai border gate in southern Tay Ninh province on May 23, 2012.

The People’s Procuracy affirmed that Trong was the mastermind behind the plan for Dung to flee abroad, which directly compromised the State management of immigration, blocking the investigation of the Vinalines case and negatively affect public trust in law enforcement agencies.
The hearing will continue tomorrow, January 8, 2014.-VNA