FIFA-style scandal: Vietnam’s top soccer officials accused of taking bribes

June 15, 2015 | 16:05

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An ex-football official has claimed that two top leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) took a bribe of US$4,600 each from him and then sacked him last year.

Nguyen Van Chuong, the former acting director of the VFF’s Youth Football Training Center, has filed an accusation against VFF Chairman Le Hung Dung and his deputy, Tran Quoc Tuan.

In his complaint sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the General Department of Gymnastics and Sports, the VFF and local media agencies, Chuong said he began to work for the football governing body in 2009 and was appointed to the above post on September 23, 2013.

On July 3, 2014, the VFF leaders transferred him to the position of deputy head of the Amateur Football Department, while Chuong wanted to be rotated to the National Squads Department.

Chuong claimed that Tuan had suggested he offer a bribe if he wanted to be transferred to that department.

Therefore, the former acting director gave a bribe of VND100 million ($4,600) each to Dung and Tuan at their homes on August 28, 2014 and July 15, 2014 respectively, according to Chuong’s complaint.

In May 2015, about 10 months after receiving the VND100 million, Tuan returned the amount to him, Chuong said, adding he did not know why.

“Perhaps the amount I had paid to him [Tuan] was not enough,” Chuong said.

On June 1, 2015, the VFF fired Chuong for an unknown reason, along with a number of others, Chuong complained.

‘A fabrication’

In talking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday about Chuong’s allegation, VFF Chairman Dung said it is a made-up story.

Dung said Chuong and Tran Duy Long, former chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation, visited him at his home on August 28, 2014, after he returned to Vietnam from a trip for liver surgery in Singapore.

The VFF chairman added that he expected to receive Long only, so he was surprised to see Chuong accompanying the man.

“Before leaving my house, Chuong gave me a cardboard box, saying he wanted to present to me an ancient clock inside. I refused the gift, saying I had enough clocks already. Chuong, however, left the box in my house and departed. I opened the box and saw a wooden clock there,” Dung said.

Dung asserted that there was no money in the box. “The fact that Chuong accused me of receiving VND100 million is a fabrication and slander against me,” Dung said.

Dung added that Chuong concocted such a story to defame him and the VFF.

The VFF chairman said he has worked with a lawyer to take steps against Chuong’s accusation.

“Those who make wrong accusations or slander against others will be punished by law. I have assigned Nguyen Nam Hung, head of the VFF’s Inspection Department, to make a report about the case and submit it to the VFF’s Executive Committee for instructions before reporting the case to competent state agencies,” Dung said.

“After reaching a conclusion about Chuong’s allegations, the VFF will request that competent state agencies launch an investigation to handle the case in accordance with applicable regulations,” the VFF leader said.

A witness

Regarding the above visit to Dung on August 28, 2014, former Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation Long told Tuoi Tre on Sunday that he had phoned the VFF boss to inform him in advance of the visit.

Before coming to Dung’s house, Long received a phone call from Chuong, and during their talk, Long told Chuong that he was about to visit Dung.

Chuong then said he wanted to join the visit, and Long agreed.

“When meeting Dung at his home, I gave him a bag of fruits. I also saw Chuong give Dung another bag of fruits along with a wooden clock,” Long said.

“I did not see Chuong hand to Dung any envelope during that visit,” Long told Tuoi Tre.

‘Ready for confrontation’

Chuong told Tuoi Tre that he is ready to confront both Tuan and Dung to clarify the case, although there is no evidence of the bribery.

“If there was evidence, police would arrest both the giver and taker of bribes. However, offering money or gifts to VFF officials is a thing of common sense,” Chuong said.

He added that he offered the above 'gift' to Dung for the first time, while he had done the same to Tuan many times.

VFF leader receives $2,300 from Chuong, but hands it to another

VFF Chairman Le Hung Dung told Tuoi Tre that he received VND50 ($2,300) million from Chuong as a gift before the 2014 Tet (Lunar New Year), and he gave it to someone else.

The offering of the 'gift' was not mentioned in the complaint by Chuong against Dung and Tuan.

Dung recounted that about a week before that Tet, Chuong phoned the VFF boss asking if he could visit him at his home, but Dung turned him down.

However, as Chuong continued to ask to meet Dung, he agreed to see the former acting director at a restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Dung said, adding that he asked Nguyen Van Lam, the VFF’s representative to FIFA, to accompany him in the meeting.

During the meeting, Chuong presented the VFF chairman with an envelope containing VND50 million, and Dung received the money after the man insisted on offering it to him, Dung said.

Dung told Tuoi Tre that he said to Chuong he temporarily kept the money and would hand it to another VFF official who was undergoing surgery at the Heart Institute108 in Hanoi as support by Chuong for that official.

Dung said he later went to Hanoi and gave the money to that official and told the official that the money had been given by Chuong.

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