News
Gambling official seized before getting award
  • | Tuoi Tre | January 14, 2012 11:17 AM
The Soc Trang City Party inspector who has been detained for playing Chinese chess games through which he won VND2.5 billion (US$119,000) has earlier been conferred an “outstanding performance” certificate but has not yet received it, said Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy secretary of the Soc Trang Province Party Committee.
 
 This villa, on Le Duan Street, Ward 9, Soc Trang City, is owned by Dinh Van Muoi. 

The committee has received the certificate that the Soc Trang Province People’s Committee conferred on Dinh Van Muoi, deputy chairman of the city Party Committee’s Commission for Inspection, but he was arrested before we handed it to him, Binh told VnExpress newswire. 

Muoi has been suspended from his post and his Party member ship put on hold pending investigation from police, Binh said.

After the police seized Nguyen Thanh Leo, former deputy director of the provincial Department of Transport, and Tran Van Tan, former director of a local drivers’ training center, for playing Chinese chess for high stakes -- VND1-5 billion ($47,600-238,000) per game, investigators worked with the committee to clarify Leo’s testimonies that he had also played Chinese chess with Muoi for money.

Leo had told the police that he had lost VND2.5 billion to Muoi and had paid him VND1.9 billion.

“We later asked Muoi about this issue, but Muoi said he had played chess with Leo for decades just for fun, not for money,” Binh said.

In his report submitted to the provincial Party secretary, Muoi insisted he was not engaged in gambling, but the police later seized Muoi after they confronted him with Leo.

Muoi, with a police rank of Major, was head of Ward 1 Police in Soc Trang City before being appointed chairman of the People’s Committee of that ward. He was then transferred to Ward 4 as Party secretary and later promoted to the position of deputy chairman of the city Party Committee’s Commission for Inspection, Binh said.

Muoi is frank and reticent, and behaves properly towards his colleagues, he added. 

Talking with Tuoi Tre, Le Van Can, Soc Trang Province secretary, said he felt sad to know that Muoi had been arrested for gambling.

“Muoi and Leo have associated with each other for a long time. We once witnessed them playing Chinese chess, but nobody could believe that they played for money – huge amounts of money,” Can said.

He, however, said the Government’s regulations on declaration of assets by civil servants have been carried out in the province annually and no abnormal signs related to Muoi’s properties were found.

When asked about a nice villa owned by Muoi on Le Duan Street, Can said in 2007 Muoi sold his house for VND7.5 billion (US$357,000) and then bought the villa at a favored rate because it had been owned by the State.

The police must have legitimate reasons to seize him and the committee would meet their requirements related to their investigation, he said.

“Through this case, we will request the leaders of all Party units to strengthen their control over their staff in terms of Party members’ morality and lifestyle,” Tan said.

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