Hanoi - A former government official in Vietnam was sentenced to 13 years in prison Tuesday for his part in a gambling and corruption scandal that brought down a government minister. Bui Tien Dung, former director of a state road construction company known as PMU-18 that diverted millions of dollars in government funds into a football-gambling ring, was sentenced to six years in prison on gambling charges and seven years for attempting to give bribes, according Judge Ngo Thi Yen.
Dung, who was accused of personally losing some 750,000 dollars in state money betting on European football matches, was also ordered to pay a cash fine of 65,000 dollars.
In total, nine people were convicted in a Hanoi court Tuesday of being part of the gambling ring or taking bribes to protect it.
The two Vietnamese police officers convicted of organizing the gambling ring were sentenced to six and seven years in prison each. Another two officers got three years in prison for their part in covering up the ring.
Four other co-defendants, including two who worked for PMU-18, received sentences ranging from probation to seven years in prison.
The widespread PMU-18 scandal led to the resignation of the transport minister - who was deemed negligent for not detecting the embezzlement of funds - and prompted new calls for a crackdown on corruption in communist Vietnam.
The high-profile trial erupted in chaos last week when several of the defence lawyers stormed out of the courtroom, saying the prosecutor did not present any evidence and the judge would not let the defence lawyers make their case.
