The Investigation Police Agency under Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security on March 18 took legal action against Nguyen Duc Chung, former chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, citing his involvement in the purchase of the water cleaning agent Redoxy 3C to purify lakes in the city that “ran counter to regulations” and “caused losses to the state”.

During a probe into accusations of “violating regulations on the management and use of state assets, causing losses and wastefulness” at the Hanoi People’s Committee and related units – initiated in April last year, police found that Chung and Arktic Trading Service Co Ltd director Nguyen Truong Giang had abused their positions and power to order Hanoi Water Drainage Co Ltd to buy Redoxy 3C for lake purification from German firm Watch Water GmbH via Arktic in a manner that “ran counter to regulations”, hence “causing losses to the state”.

Given this, the police agency on March 18 added the charge of “abusing position and power while performing duties” at the Hanoi People’s Committee and related units to the case it is investigating.

It also officially launched an investigation into Chung and Giang for this charge.

The police’s moves followed the approval of the Supreme People’s Procuracy.

In December, the Hanoi People’s Court found Chung guilty of “appropriating confidential state documents” and decided to sentence him to five years in prison.

VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK