The Hanoi People’s Court on January 25 sentenced a former high-ranking official to five years in prison for his key role in a scandal involving a multi-million VND project to computerise government agencies, commonly known as “Project 112”.

Vu Dinh Thuan, former Director of Project 112, and 22 accomplices were convicted of “abusing positions and/or powers while performing official duties” and “taking advantages of one’s influence over persons with positions and powers to seek personal benefits” as described in Articles 281 and 291, respectively, of the Penal Code.

According to the court’ verdict, Thuan and his accomplices caused losses mounting to over 4.6 billion VND between 2003 and 2006 from a wide range of wrongdoings they committed in undertaking the project, ranging from procurement to awarding sub-contracts.

Thuan, who played the key role in the signing of contracts and himself pocketed 275 million VND, was sentenced to five years in jail.

Luong Cao Son, who was Thuan’s junior colleague, was found guilty of initiating the wrongdoings involving Project 112 and personally siphoning off up to 749 million VND. He received the longest sentence--six years in jail.

A six-year term was also handed down to the Director of the ISA IT company, Nguyen Thuy Ha, who was accused of paying “kickbacks” for being awarded 60 economic contracts worth more than 23 billion VND, many of which were illegal.

The court also handed down other sentences ranging from an 18-month suspended jail term to 30 months in prison to other defendants in the case./.