Two Vietnam former ministers face death penalty over bribe charges

Two former Vietnamese information ministers have beencharged with corruption, state media reported Tuesday, a charge whichin the country carries the death sentence.Nguyen Bac Son, who served as information minister from 2011-2016,was charged with "violating the regulations on management and use ofpublic investment capital" and "taking bribes," state media reported. Truong Minh Tuan, who served first as Son's deputy and then replacedhim in the role until he was suspended last July, was charged withthe same crimes.Son admitted receiving a three-million-dollar bribe as a kickback forfacilitating a now-cancelled deal in which the mobile carrierMobiFone acquired a 95-per-cent stake in pay TV firm AVG, Tuoi Trenewspaper reported, citing police.Son, at the time information minister, approved the acquisitionwithout approval from the prime minister's office.Tuan, who as his deputy signed off on the decision, admittedreceiving a 200,000-dollar bribe from AVG former chairman Nhat Vu,the Tuoi Tre report said. The deal was found to have caused a 307-million-dollar hole inVietnam's budget.Former MobiFone chairman Le Nam Tra, who was arrested in July lastyear and charged with violating regulations of state capitalmanagement, admitted receiving a 2.5-million-dollar bribe from Vu,the police run newspaper Cong An Nhan Dan reported.  Vu was arrested in April for allegedly offering bribes, the Ministryof Public Security said in a statement.Vietnam has seen a corruption crackdown in the past year under theleadership of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.Major players in state-owned enterprises, including oil executives,have been convicted.