Vietnam oil exec makes tearful apology ahead of graft verdict
A former oil executive in Vietnam facing a possible life sentence for graft issued a tearful apology Wednesday before a verdict in a case tied to a rare wide-ranging purge in the secretive Communist country. Trinh Xuan Thanh, the ex-head of state-run PetroVietnam Construction, said sorry to the communist leadership and "people of the whole country" at a Hanoi court in his final appearance before the ruling. Thanh's case has drawn a spotlight because of the intrigue surrounding it. He was allegedly kidnapped from a park in Berlin in July, sparking a diplomatic row with Germany. Vietnam denies the accusation, insisting Thanh returned home voluntarily to face charges. "I am very regretful, and at this court, I hope the jury would convey my apology and regret to party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong," Thanh said while sobbing, according to video of his remarks posted on state media. Clips of the apology and that of his former boss and co-defendant Dinh La Thang went viral in a country captivated by the one-party state's rare crackdown against dozens of former bankers, officials and state executives. The men, who denied the bulk of the accusations but said they would take responsibility, are on trial for allegedly causing $5.2 million in losses for the state during an investment by PetroVietnam into a thermal power plant. 20 state officials are also defendants in the trial that has been closed off to international media. In a linked case, Singapore earlier this month deported fugitive Vietnamese intelligence officer Phan Van Anh Vu, who held a senior rank in the secret police. Vu was trying to seek asylum in Germany, his lawyers said, arguing he may have information about Thanh's kidnapping on German soil. In addition to mismanagement Thanh is accused of embezzlement, which can carry the death sentence. Prosecutors, however, asked for life imprisonment instead. Facing up to 15 years in prison, Thanh's co-defendant Thang also asked for forgiveness and a "fair, objective and humane" verdict after apologizing to numerous people and institutions, including "generations of staff in the oil and gas industry". Observers say the government's anti-corruption campaign is politically driven, mirroring a similar graft crackdown in next-door giant China.
