The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has asked ten more people to submit reports about their involvement in an alleged bribery case in which the leader of a Japanese consultant firm said it paid US$780,000 in kickbacks in exchange for a Japanese ODA-funded project order, worth more than $41 million, in Vietnam.
Of the ten people, seven are incumbent officials and three are already retired.
Japan Transportation Consultants, Inc. (JTC) won a contract to be the consultant for this project.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported last week that Tamio Kakinuma, JTC’s president, admitted that his company had paid ¥80 million ($782,640) in bribes in return for an ODA project order worth ¥4.2 billion ($41,088,600) in Vietnam.
On March 23, following the allegation, Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the management board for railway projects under the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VRC), was suspended for investigation.
Hieu confirmed to Tuoi Tre the same day that his suspension related to the Yen Vien-Ngoc Hoi railway route project, which is now in the spotlight in association with the Japanese allegation.
A day later three other Vietnamese railway officials were also suspended.
No abnormal signs found yet
The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VRC) said it has reviewed the process of the implementation of the Yen Vien-Ngoc Hoi railway route project, according to a report sent to the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday.
Four contractors, including JTC, took part in the bid for the project, but three of them eventually quit, so JTC later became its sole consultant contractor, the report said.
Since 1993, JTC has engaged in 14 projects in Vietnam, including five railway projects funded by Japanese ODA, it added.
The VRC will re-examine all projects related to JTC and provide daily updates for the transport ministry, Tran Ngoc Thanh, the firm’s chairman, told Tuoi Tre.
“Although we have yet to find abnormal signs relating to the above project, the review of this project will be updated to detect anything suspicious,” Thanh said.
As previously reported, Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong left Vietnam for Japan on Tuesday evening to directly work with the Tokyo Tax Authority, the special investigation team of the Tokyo prosecutor’s office, and Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese newspaper that reported the alleged bribery case on March 21.
“When we get any official information about the case, we will publicize it immediately,” the official said.
Dong added that Vietnam will also seek a list of the purported bribe-takers from Japan and hand it over to Vietnamese authorities right away.
Ten people the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has ordered to write reports: — Nguyen Duc Thang , acting general director of the Vietnam Road Administration — Trieu Khac Dung , head of the Expressway Management Department under the Vietnam Road Administration – Nguyen Minh Tuyen , deputy head of the Department for Management of Construction and Traffic Works Quality — Tran Quoc Viet , chairman of the Board of Members of the Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development Corporation — Le Quyet Tien , head of the Legislation and Bidding Department under the Department for Management of Construction and Traffic Works Quality — Phan Huu Bien , an officer at Tien’s Department — Vu Nam Nguyen , a senior officer at the Bureau of Planning and Investment under the transport ministry — Le Manh Hung , former Deputy Minister of Transport — Nguyen Huu Bang, former chairman of the Board of Members of the Vietnam Railways Corporation — Ha Khac Hao , former deputy head of the Bureau of Planning and Investment under the transport ministry |
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