HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People’s Court on Wednesday handed down a corruption judgement against Waterway Construction Joint Stock Company (Vinawaco) that resulted in the loss of nearly VNĐ7.9 bilion (US$347,000).

Phạm Đình Hòa, 43, former director of Vinawaco’s market and planning department, was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment while Hồ Thành Nghĩa, 37, former managing director of northern dredging project, was sentenced to 8-and-a-half years for receiving bribes.

Trịnh Văn Thắng, 34, former director of Tân Việt Construction and Mechanics Joint Stock Company (Tân Việt Company) and Vũ Thanh Huyền, 49, former chairwoman of management board of the company received 24 and 22 month sentences, respectively, for offering bribe and swindling to appropriate property.

Four offcials of Maritime II Project Management Boards – Nguyễn Tiến Cường, Nguyễn Đăng Hiếu, Nguyễn Hoài Nam and Lê Quang Hiệp -- was sentenced to 20-24 months of imprisonment for their lack of responsibility that led to serious consequences. They did not act in accordance with their responsibilities and did not follow project surpervision regulations as required.

The case was uncovered in May 2014, when investigators from the Ministry of Public Security caught red-handed Huyền and Thắng giving a bribe worth VNĐ20 million ($878) to Nguyễn Hoài Nam, a reporter from the Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper.

During the investigation, Thắng told police that Nam had recorded a video which could show the project’s violations relating to the place where waste discard. Thắng gave bribe to the reporter so that he wouldn’t write about the incident.

Nam refused to take the money and instead informed the police.

Earlier, Huyền and Thắng also gave US$1,000 and VNĐ500,000 ($22) to him, and Nam handed the money to HCM City Police.

At the request of Nghĩa and Hòa, Thắng and Huyền had also given VNĐ800 million to them so Tân Việt Company could take part in the bidding and win the contract to carry out a dredging project on Hòn Gai-Cái Lân Navigable Channels in 2013.

Thắng and Huyền made false documents during the project’s implementation, illegally appropriating nearly VNĐ7.9 biliion. — VNS