Two suspects arrested over PCI corruption case
VGP - Today, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) decided to detain two suspects involved in the Pacific Consultants International (PCI) bribery case.
February 11, 2009 4:00 PM GMT+7
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Huỳnh Ngọc Sỹ is extradited to Hà Nội for investigation
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Huỳnh Ngọc Sĩ and Lê Quả, director and vice director of the Management Board of the East-West Avenue and Water Environment Projects in Hồ Chí Minh City were arrested today under a charge of “abuse of competence and power”.
The MPS investigation agency, on December 8, launched an investigation under the mandate of Japan's Tokyo Procuracy.
The Investigation Agency (IA) on February 9 issued a warrant of arrest against the two officials for investigation.
Evolution of the case
The Hồ Chí Minh City East-West Avenue project was launched on January 31, 2005 with total investment capital of VND 9,864 billion. Meanwhile, the Water Environment project is invested with VND 4,163 billion. Both of the projects are under the control of the Management Board of the East-West Avenue and Water Environment Projects that was chaired by Huỳnh Ngọc Sỹ. Japan's Pacific Consultants International (PCI) is the consultant partner of the projects.
On November 11, 2008, at the first hearing session in the Tokyo court, Japanese public prosecutors said that some PCI's officials confessed to having offered Sỹ US $2.6 million in bribes, equal to 10% of the contract value, to gain preferential conditions for their consulting contracts during the period of 2001-2003.
Right after Japanese public media uncovered the corruption case, the Vietnamese PM ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask Japanese competent agencies to transfer all the documents. He also urged the investigation agencies to bring the case to light.
On November 19, 2008, the Chairman of the Hồ Chí Minh City People's Committee signed Decision No. 633/QĐ-UBND to depose Sỹ for his suspected involvement to the case.
The Immigration Department of the MPS on December 15, 2008 issued a decision to forbid Sỹ to leave the country.
On December 8, 2008, the criminal proceedings were started against the bribery case relating to some officials of the HCMC Management Board of the East-West Avenue and Water Environment Projects.
At the end of January, Japanese newspapers said that the Japanese court issued a verdict that three former officials of the Hà Nội-based PCI office got suspended sentence.
By Hải Minh
