This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


2002HANOI01485 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1303

PAGE 01        HANOI  01485  01 OF 02  070942Z 
ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  
      DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    ED-01    FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    
      HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    TEST-00  TRSE-00  USIE-00  
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W
                  ------------------B99FBC  070942Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6695
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  NA 
TAGS: PGOV PINS SOCI VM DPOL
SUBJECT:  TWO CORRUPTION-TAINTED OFFICIALS SUSPENDED 
 
     REF:  HANOI 1250 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  01485  01 OF 02  070942Z 
     ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: TWO HIGH-RANKING GVN OFFICIALS, ONE THE 
     NUMBER TWO PROSECUTOR AND ANOTHER A CENTRAL COMMITTEE 
     MEMBER, HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT AND 
     SOME PARTY POSITIONS FOR SUSPECTED COMPLICITY WITH AN 
     ALLEGED MAJOR CRIMINAL FIGURE.    THESE MOVES ARE 
     EXPECTED TO FACILITATE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE 
     CASE, WHICH SO FAR HAS INVOLVED MORE THAN 100 ALLEGED 
     ACCOMPLICES, REPORTEDLY INCLUDING POLICEMEN AND 
     JOURNALISTS.  THIS WELL-PUBLICIZED EFFORT NONETHELESS 
     WILL LIKELY BE INSUFFICIENT IN CONVINCING THE PUBLIC 
     THAT CPV AND GVN ACTIONS AGAINST WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION 
     AND GROWING CRIME ARE EFFECTIVE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
     ¶2. (U) ON MAY 31, STATE PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG 
     ORDERED THE SUSPENSION OF PHAM SY CHIEN, DEPUTY HEAD OF 
     THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S PROCURACY.  ON THE SAME DAY, PRIME 
     MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI AUTHORIZED THE SUSPENSION OF 
     TRAN MAI HANH FROM HIS POSITION AS GENERAL DIRECTOR OF 
     VIETNAM STATE RADIO. (NOTE:  THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S 
     PROCURACY REPORTS TO THE STATE PRESIDENT RATHER THAN 
     THE PRIME MINISTER.  END NOTE.)  THE TWO DECISIONS CAME 
     AFTER THE CPV POLITBURO AND SECRETARIAT HAD ENDORSED 
     RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUSPEND CHIEN AND HANH FROM THEIR 
     SEATS ON THE POLITBURO-APPOINTED SUPREME PEOPLE'S 
     PROCURACY PARTY COMMITTEE AND THE POLITBURO-APPOINTED 
     VOICE OF VIETNAM PARTY COMMITTEE, RESPECTIVELY. 
     EARLIER, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE AND 
     NATIONAL ELECTION COUNCIL HAD ORDERED THAT HANH'S NAME 
     BE DROPPED FROM THE LIST OF FINAL CANDIDATES ONLY THREE 
     DAYS BEFORE THE MAY 19 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION 
     (REFTEL).  HANH HAS FOR NOW NOT LOST HIS SEAT ON THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01485  01 OF 02  070942Z 
     CPV CENTRAL COMMITTEE, HOWEVER. 
 
     ¶3.  (SBU)  THESE CASES STEM FROM ALLEGED CONNECTIONS 
     WITH AND ASSISTANCE TO TRUONG VAN CAM, AKA "NAM CAM," 
     ROUTINELY DESCRIBED AS A MAJOR HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC) 
     CRIME SYNDICATE BOSS.  IN MAY 1995, NAM CAM HAD 
     RECEIVED A THREE-YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION TERM, 
     BUT WAS RELEASED IN OCTOBER 1997.  CHIEN AND HANH 
     REPORTEDLY ISSUED A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AT 
     THAT TIME ASKING NAM CAM'S EARLY RELEASE, ALLEGEDLY 
     ONLY AFTER NAM CAM'S WIFE SPENT "BILLIONS" OF 
     VIETNAMESE DONG TO SECURE HIS FREEDOM.  ONE SENIOR 
     SUPREME PEOPLE'S PROCURACY OFFICIAL COMMENTED PRIVATELY 
     TO EMBOFF THAT NAM CAM'S RELEASE WOULD HAVE BEEN 
     "IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT INTERVENTION OF PHAM SY CHIEN, AND 
     THOSE FROM OTHER CENTRAL OFFICES LIKE HANH." 
 
     ¶4.  (U)  ACCORDING TO LOCAL OBSERVERS, THIS IS THE 
     FIRST TIME IN VIETNAM THAT HIGH-RANKING GVN OFFICIALS 
     HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT -- HOWEVER 
     INDIRECT -- IN VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ALTHOUGH THE 
     GVN HAS IN THE PAST TAKEN ACTION AGAINST OFFICIALS 
     INVOLVED IN FRAUD AND CORRUPTION.  "AN NINH THE GIOI," 
     THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY'S NEWSPAPER, TOUTED THE 
     SUSPENSIONS OF CHIEN AND HANH AS EXAMPLES OF THE CPV 
     AND GVN ACTING TO STEM THE "MORAL DEGRADATION OF STATE 
     OFFICIALS."  THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN MEDIA EXPOSES OF 
     CHIEN'S ALLEGED "HUGE" ASSETS; SOURCES IN THE CPV 
     INVESTIGATION COMMISSION HAVE LEAKED TO THE PRESS THAT 
     CHIEN HAD NOT DECLARED MANY OF THESE ASSETS. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01485  01 OF 02  070942Z 
     ¶5.  (U)  POLICE RE-ARRESTED NAM CAM IN DECEMBER 2001 
     BASED ON A TIP-OFF THAT HE HAD ORDERED THE MURDER OF 
     RIVAL ORGANIZED CRIME BOSS "DUNG HA."  SO FAR, MORE 
     THAN 100 ALLEGED ACCOMPLICES HAVE ALSO BEEN ARRESTED; A 
     SENIOR MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY (MPS) OFFICIAL IN 
     LATE MAY TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD 
     LIKELY LAST UNTIL AT LEAST OCTOBER, WITH MORE ARRESTS 
     EXPECTED TO FOLLOW. 
 
     ¶6.  (SBU)  COMMENT: THESE SUSPENSIONS AND WELL- 
     PUBLICIZED CAMPAIGNS AGAINST CHIEN, HANH, AS WELL AS 
     NAM CAM HIMSELF ARE LIKELY DESIGNED TO CONVINCE THE 
     PUBLIC THAT THE CPV AND GVN ARE RESOLUTE IN MOVING 
     AGAINST BOTH ORGANIZED CRIME AND OFFICIAL CORRUPTION. 
     THE MEDIA ATTENTION IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE RESULT OF AN 
     EXPLICIT CPV DECISION, NOT THE RESULT OF INDEPENDENT 
     INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, WHICH IS VIRTUALLY NON- 
     EXISTENT IN VIETNAM.  THE CPV IS TRYING TO CONVINCE THE 
     PUBLIC BY THESE ACTS THAT, AS A RECENTLY REPORTED CPV 
     GUIDELINE STATED, THERE IS "NO FORBIDDEN AREA" IN 
     INVESTIGATING AND PUNISHING CPV MEMBERS AND GVN 
     OFFICIALS WHO COMMIT MISTAKES AND ENGAGE IN WRONGDOING. 
     GIVEN WIDESPREAD PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT MALFEASANCE AND 
     GROWING CRIME, HOWEVER, IT IS DOUBTFUL IF THESE TOKEN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ1302 
 
PAGE 01        HANOI  01485  02 OF 02  070942Z 
ACTION EAP-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00  DODE-00 
      DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    ED-01    FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00 
      HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OMB-01   OPIC-01  CAEX-01  PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    TEST-00  TRSE-00 
      USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00 
        /010W 
                  ------------------B99FBF  070942Z /38 
R 070937Z JUN 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6696 
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 001485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
     CASES WILL GO VERY FAR IN RE-BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST IN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  01485  02 OF 02  070942Z 
     EITHER GVN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR IN THE CPV'S 
     ABILITY TO POLICE ITSELF. 
     PORTER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED