HANOI: A court in Vietnam handed jail sentences on Wednesday (Nov 12) to two former local officials who wagered millions of dollars under false foreign names, in a closely-watched gambling trial, state media reported.
The pair were part of an illegal gambling ring run by South Koreans out of a swanky Hanoi hotel and comprising more than 140 people, prosecutors had alleged.
The outfit was said to include former government and communist party officials, entertainers and businesspeople who placed bets totalling more than US$106 million.
The slot, roulette and baccarat machines at the gilded King Club in the capital’s five-star Pullman Hotel were licensed to serve foreigners but not Vietnamese citizens, who are largely barred from gambling by law.
However, prosecutors alleged that Vietnamese gamblers entering the club were issued membership cards with fake foreign names, allowing them to play.
Ho Dai Dung, former vice-chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee who wagered more than US$7 million over 95 sessions, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail, the Dan Tri news site said.
Ngo Ngoc Duc, a former party secretary for Hoa Binh City who bet US$4.2 million, received a three-year sentence, it reported.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/vietnam-jail-former-officials-100-million-gambling-trial-5462781
