Vietnam Trade Official Arrested in Widening Oil Bribery Scandal

Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security today announced the arrest of Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, as part of the ongoing investigation into corruption at the Xuyen Viet Oil Company.

Dong faces charges of accepting bribes.

Two Xuyen Viet Oil executives, Chief Accountant Dinh Tien Dung and Sales Department Head Nguyen Tan Long, were also detained on charges of bribery. The arrests bring the total number of individuals charged in the oil price-fixing scandal to 14.

"The investigation is ongoing. We are committed to uncovering the full extent of corruption and recovering misappropriated state assets," stated Lieutenant General To An Xo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security.

The case centers on allegations that Xuyen Viet Oil officials manipulated oil prices and misused funds allocated for the Petroleum Price Stabilization Fund. This is a major scandal, as it involves potential price-fixing of a key commodity and the misuse of government funds.

The scandal has already implicated officials from Vietnam's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry and Trade. Last month, Dang Cong Khoi, Deputy Director of the Price Management Department, and Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department, were both arrested on charges of negligence.