Vietnam arrests finance ministry officials for tax fraud
Source: 26-JUL-2008 Intellasia | The Earth Times
Jul 26, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM Police in Vietnam have arrested two officials in the finance ministry for illegally reducing or waiving taxes for several foreign-invested enterprises, local media reported Thursday. Phan Van Hien, deputy director of the ministry's Foreign Finance Department, was arrested Wednesday along with his subordinate Hoang Ngoc Nang Hong on charges of "deliberately violating state regulations on economic management," the People's Police newspaper said.

Police have investigated Vu Xuan Hieu, another deputy director of the department, on the same charges but have not arrested him yet, the newspaper said.

The three were accused of involvement in a ring that forged documents to reduce or waive taxes for many foreign-invested enterprises in the southern province of Dong Nai, causing losses of millions of dollars to the state, People's Police said.

Earlier, police had arrested three officials of the province's taxation department for involvement in the ring.

The newspaper said further investigation into the case is under way.

According to Vietnam's Penal Code, deliberately acting against the state's regulations on economic management is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.