Cablegate: Two Corruption-Tainted Officials Suspended

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

2002HANOI01485 - UNCLASSIFIED

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00
DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6695
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001485

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: NA
TAGS: PGOV PINS SOCI VM DPOL
SUBJECT: TWO CORRUPTION-TAINTED OFFICIALS SUSPENDED

REF: HANOI 1250

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1. (U) SUMMARY: TWO HIGH-RANKING GVN OFFICIALS, ONE THE
NUMBER TWO PROSECUTOR AND ANOTHER A CENTRAL COMMITTEE
MEMBER, HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT AND
SOME PARTY POSITIONS FOR SUSPECTED COMPLICITY WITH AN
ALLEGED MAJOR CRIMINAL FIGURE. THESE MOVES ARE
EXPECTED TO FACILITATE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE
CASE, WHICH SO FAR HAS INVOLVED MORE THAN 100 ALLEGED
ACCOMPLICES, REPORTEDLY INCLUDING POLICEMEN AND
JOURNALISTS. THIS WELL-PUBLICIZED EFFORT NONETHELESS
WILL LIKELY BE INSUFFICIENT IN CONVINCING THE PUBLIC
THAT CPV AND GVN ACTIONS AGAINST WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION
AND GROWING CRIME ARE EFFECTIVE. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) ON MAY 31, STATE PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG
ORDERED THE SUSPENSION OF PHAM SY CHIEN, DEPUTY HEAD OF
THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S PROCURACY. ON THE SAME DAY, PRIME
MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI AUTHORIZED THE SUSPENSION OF
TRAN MAI HANH FROM HIS POSITION AS GENERAL DIRECTOR OF
VIETNAM STATE RADIO. (NOTE: THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S
PROCURACY REPORTS TO THE STATE PRESIDENT RATHER THAN
THE PRIME MINISTER. END NOTE.) THE TWO DECISIONS CAME
AFTER THE CPV POLITBURO AND SECRETARIAT HAD ENDORSED
RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUSPEND CHIEN AND HANH FROM THEIR
SEATS ON THE POLITBURO-APPOINTED SUPREME PEOPLE'S
PROCURACY PARTY COMMITTEE AND THE POLITBURO-APPOINTED
VOICE OF VIETNAM PARTY COMMITTEE, RESPECTIVELY.
EARLIER, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE AND
NATIONAL ELECTION COUNCIL HAD ORDERED THAT HANH'S NAME
BE DROPPED FROM THE LIST OF FINAL CANDIDATES ONLY THREE
DAYS BEFORE THE MAY 19 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION
(REFTEL). HANH HAS FOR NOW NOT LOST HIS SEAT ON THE
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CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE, HOWEVER.

3. (SBU) THESE CASES STEM FROM ALLEGED CONNECTIONS
WITH AND ASSISTANCE TO TRUONG VAN CAM, AKA "NAM CAM,"
ROUTINELY DESCRIBED AS A MAJOR HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC)
CRIME SYNDICATE BOSS. IN MAY 1995, NAM CAM HAD
RECEIVED A THREE-YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION TERM,
BUT WAS RELEASED IN OCTOBER 1997. CHIEN AND HANH
REPORTEDLY ISSUED A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AT
THAT TIME ASKING NAM CAM'S EARLY RELEASE, ALLEGEDLY
ONLY AFTER NAM CAM'S WIFE SPENT "BILLIONS" OF
VIETNAMESE DONG TO SECURE HIS FREEDOM. ONE SENIOR
SUPREME PEOPLE'S PROCURACY OFFICIAL COMMENTED PRIVATELY
TO EMBOFF THAT NAM CAM'S RELEASE WOULD HAVE BEEN
"IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT INTERVENTION OF PHAM SY CHIEN, AND
THOSE FROM OTHER CENTRAL OFFICES LIKE HANH."

4. (U) ACCORDING TO LOCAL OBSERVERS, THIS IS THE
FIRST TIME IN VIETNAM THAT HIGH-RANKING GVN OFFICIALS
HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT -- HOWEVER
INDIRECT -- IN VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ALTHOUGH THE
GVN HAS IN THE PAST TAKEN ACTION AGAINST OFFICIALS
INVOLVED IN FRAUD AND CORRUPTION. "AN NINH THE GIOI,"
THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY'S NEWSPAPER, TOUTED THE
SUSPENSIONS OF CHIEN AND HANH AS EXAMPLES OF THE CPV
AND GVN ACTING TO STEM THE "MORAL DEGRADATION OF STATE
OFFICIALS." THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN MEDIA EXPOSES OF
CHIEN'S ALLEGED "HUGE" ASSETS; SOURCES IN THE CPV
INVESTIGATION COMMISSION HAVE LEAKED TO THE PRESS THAT
CHIEN HAD NOT DECLARED MANY OF THESE ASSETS.

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5. (U) POLICE RE-ARRESTED NAM CAM IN DECEMBER 2001
BASED ON A TIP-OFF THAT HE HAD ORDERED THE MURDER OF
RIVAL ORGANIZED CRIME BOSS "DUNG HA." SO FAR, MORE
THAN 100 ALLEGED ACCOMPLICES HAVE ALSO BEEN ARRESTED; A
SENIOR MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY (MPS) OFFICIAL IN
LATE MAY TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD
LIKELY LAST UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER, WITH MORE ARRESTS
EXPECTED TO FOLLOW.

6. (SBU) COMMENT: THESE SUSPENSIONS AND WELL-
PUBLICIZED CAMPAIGNS AGAINST CHIEN, HANH, AS WELL AS
NAM CAM HIMSELF ARE LIKELY DESIGNED TO CONVINCE THE
PUBLIC THAT THE CPV AND GVN ARE RESOLUTE IN MOVING
AGAINST BOTH ORGANIZED CRIME AND OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.
THE MEDIA ATTENTION IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE RESULT OF AN
EXPLICIT CPV DECISION, NOT THE RESULT OF INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, WHICH IS VIRTUALLY NON-
EXISTENT IN VIETNAM. THE CPV IS TRYING TO CONVINCE THE
PUBLIC BY THESE ACTS THAT, AS A RECENTLY REPORTED CPV
GUIDELINE STATED, THERE IS "NO FORBIDDEN AREA" IN
INVESTIGATING AND PUNISHING CPV MEMBERS AND GVN
OFFICIALS WHO COMMIT MISTAKES AND ENGAGE IN WRONGDOING.
GIVEN WIDESPREAD PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT MALFEASANCE AND
GROWING CRIME, HOWEVER, IT IS DOUBTFUL IF THESE TOKEN

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00
DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 CAEX-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00
USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/010W
------------------B99FBF 070942Z /38
R 070937Z JUN 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6696
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 001485

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV

CASES WILL GO VERY FAR IN RE-BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST IN
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EITHER GVN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR IN THE CPV'S
ABILITY TO POLICE ITSELF.
PORTER

UNCLASSIFIED

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