Abuse of power needs double penalties
VGP – The Hồ Chí Minh City Supreme People’s Court yesterday doubled penalties for two former officials of the East-West Highway and City Water Environment Improvement projects for abusing their power.
Defendant Huỳnh Ngọc Sĩ in white shirt |
Huỳnh Ngọc Sĩ, former Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Transport and Manager of the projects management board; and Lê Quả, Deputy Manager of the board were sentenced to six and five year imprisonment, respectively.
The two officials had abused their power to ink a US $80,000 worth contract leasing a State-owned house on Nguyễn Thị Diệu Street in District 3 to Japan’s Pacific Consultants International (PCI). The lease money however was not submitted to the State budget but disbursed to 87 staff members.
Earlier on September 25, 2009, the HCMC People’s Court had conducted the first-hearing of the case and already issued jail sentences of three and two years respectively to Sĩ and Quả.
By Hải Minh