Bien Dong Shipping Company Limited is a subsidiary of the Vietnam National Shipping Lines.— Photo Vneconomy..vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Former deputy general director of Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) Bui Quoc Anh and his accomplices are facing trial for abusing power while on duty and embezzlement.

The crimes of the accused had resulted in the loss of some VND4.8 billion (US$228,500) to the state budget.

The trial for the corruption case of Bien Dong Shipping Company Limited, a subsidiary of Vinalines, had opened on February 26 in the Ha Noi People's Court.

According to the indictment, the five defendants in the case misused their position and power to buy five old ships from Tan Minh Nguyet Company using fake documents with, which caused the company to incur a loss in 2006.

Quoc Anh, 55, who was also the former director of Bien Dong Shipping, was indicted on charges of abusing power while on duty.

The indictment also charged Do Thi Bich Thuy, the former deputy director of Bien Dong; Ngo Van Nhuan, the former deputy chief auditor of the State Audit Agency in Zone 7; and Nguyen Thi Le Thuy, the former treasurer of Bien Dong Shipping with the same offence.

Quoc Anh was accused of not negotiating and not notifying the company's relevant unit about the buying contract. He instead worked with Do Thi Bich Thuy and Nguyen Thi Le Thuy to pay almost VND2.2 billion ($104,761) in cash for a so-called "diplomacy cost."

Ngo Van Nhuan was accused of helping the other defendants commit the crime and appropriating VND1.4 billion ($66,666) for himself.

Hoang Gia Hiep, 42, the former director of Vietnam Shipbuilding Finance Company, was indicted and charged with embezzlement. Hiep had abused his power to sign the contracts and appropriated VND50 million ($2,380), the indictment stated

The trial is scheduled to take place in three days. —VNS