Vietnam Jails Ex-Parliament Official in Corruption Trial, Report Says
The Vietnam National Assembly Building in Hanoi.
Photographer: Linh Pham/BloombergA former senior parliamentary official has been sentenced to over five years in jail in a corruption case linked to a construction company accused of bribing its way into winning deals.
Pham Thai Ha, who was assistant to the former National Assembly chair, was convicted of abuse of power, news website Tuoi Tre reports. Prosecutors said Ha used his position to influence local officials in favor of property firm Thuan An Group, which won contracts that caused a 96.8 billion dong ($3.67 million) loss to the state. He had previously admitted to the charges in court, Tuoi Tre reported.