11 Vietnamese sports officials, soccer players to be prosecuted for bribery

Vietnam's Investigation Agency has just proposed the Supreme People's Procuracy prosecute 11 local sports officials and soccer players mainly for the charges of bribery giving or taking, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

The 11 people include director of the Sports Department of Nghe An province Nguyen Hoang Thu, manager of the province-based Pjico Song Lam Nghe An Soccer Club Nguyen Hong Thanh, the club's head coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh, and the club's assistant coach Nguyen Huu Thang, who initiated the giving of bribes to the club's opponents at the 2000-2001 national tournament so that it could win the tournament's championship easily.

According to the Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security, Thang gave a total of 300 million Vietnamese dong (VND) (18,900 U.S. dollars) to several members of the Sai Gon Port Soccer Club based in southern Ho Chi Minh City.

Local police have recently detected many cases, in which local clubs bribed referees and their opponents so that they got promoted, won championships, or did not have to be relegated in national tournaments.

Since August 2005, they have uncovered over 50 local corrupt referees, as well as managing directors and coaches of some clubs.

Source: Xinhua