Trịnh Xuân Thanh. — VNS File Photo |
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam on Thursday reaffirmed that former Chairman of the state-run PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC), Trịnh Xuân Thanh, whom Germany claims was "abducted" from the country, turned himself in to police in Việt Nam.
During a regular press conference, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng said that Thanh presented himself to police on July 31, according to a report by the Ministry of Public Security.
“The police are investigating the case,” she said.
Vietnamese police earlier issued an arrest warrant for 51-year-old Thanh on charges of mismanagement at State-owned PetroVietnam Construction Corporation, resulting in losses of approximately VNĐ3.3 trillion (US$146.6 million) during his tenure as the chairman of the company’s board of directors.
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer made the accusation on Wednesday and said it "has the potential to negatively influence relations in a massive way."
The Vietnamese spokeswoman said that she “regrets the remarks of the German Foreign Ministry spokesman on August 2”.
“Việt Nam always appreciates and wishes to sustain and develop the strategic partnership with Germany,” she said. — VNS