November 5, 2005
Written by C.N.
Viet Nam’s Anti-Corruption Chief Arrested
Those of you who have visited Viet Nam any time in the last couple of decades (and probably even before that) should know that corruption on the part of government officials throughout the country is rampant. It’s an open secret that the way to get things done is through bribes and that starts the minute you arrive in their airports — if you want to sail through customs quickly, slip a $10 spot into your passport as you give it to the clerk.
At any rate, Viet Nam was supposedly trying to address this rampant corruption and one high profile step was to name an official “anti-corruption” chief whose job was to lead efforts to reduce corruption in the country. Alas, the irony is inescapable — Yahoo News reports that this anti-corruption chief has just been arrested for allegedly taking bribes and other forms of graft:
Vietnam’s anti-corruption chief [Luong Cao Khai] has been arrested over allegations he took bribes and abused his position, in an embarrassing setback for the country’s fight against rampant graft. . . . , “He is accused of receiving money and land from some oil and gas officials to use for private purposes and abusing his position to provide his relatives with jobs in oil and gas sector,” the Tuoi Tre daily newspaper said Friday.
The communist regime has vowed to stamp out rampant corruption that permeates the government and state sector, and the National assembly is due to vote a comprehensive anti-corruption law on November 28. Critics, however, say the crackdown is highly selective and that some high-ranking officials have acquired de facto immunity from prosecution despite allegations that their personal fortunes were acquired illegally.
More proof that corruption is still alive and well and not going anywhere in Viet Nam. Corruption is not limited to communist countries of course, but the Vietnamese government seems to be doing all they can to showcase their own unique version of it. Very well done . . .
Author Citation
Copyright © 2001- by C.N. Le. Some rights reserved. 
Suggested reference: Le, C.N. . "Viet Nam’s Anti-Corruption Chief Arrested" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. <https://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/2005/11/viet-nams-anti-corruption-chief-arrested/> ().
Short URL: https://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/?p=153
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