Vietnamese court sentences two ex-police generals for gambling

A court in northern Vietnam on Friday has sentences two former police generals to jail term for protecting a multimillion-dollar illegal online gambling ring.

Former national police chief Phan Van Vinh and former head of hi-tech crimes police department Nguyen Thanh Hoa have been slapped with imprisonment for nine and ten years, respectively by the People’s Court in Phu Tho province.

Two gambling ring leaders, Nguyen Van Duong, former chairman of the private company CNC, and Phan San Nam, former chairman of VTC Online joint stock company, were also sentenced to 10 and 5 years, respectively.

The ring had functioned from April 2015 till August 2017. The ring allegedly made $200 million in illegal profits, according to the government.

“Vinh’s acts have caused discontent among the public, reduced the reputation of the police force and people’s trust,” state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted the verdict as saying. “Vinh had intentionally covered up the crimes committed by Duong and his accomplices.”

Vinh, who was general director of the General Department of Police under the Ministry of Public Security until his retirement two years ago, was arrested in July while Hoa was arrested a month earlier. Following their arrests, the ministry stripped both men of their ranks.

The two allowed CNC company to rent an office from the General Department of Police, which indirectly facilitated the crimes and hindered their staff and other agencies in investigating the gambling ring, the verdict said.

During the hearing, prosecutors quoted Duong as telling police investigators that he bribed Vinh with $2.8 million, a $7,000 Rolex watch and gave Hoa $936,000, state media reported.