Vietnam arrests ex-provincial leader for alleged abuse of power

Le Duc Tho, who was sacked as the Party Secretary of the Mekong Delta's Ben Tre Province, has been arrested on charges he allegedly abused his "power and position to influence others for gains". - Photo from Vietnam News/ANN

HANOI: Former Vietnamese government official Le Duc Tho has been detained on charges he allegedly abused his "power and position to influence others for gains,” according to the country’s Public Security Ministry.

The arrest of Tho, an ex-party chief of Mekong Delta province Ben Tre, was linked to a case of alleged bribery and state asset mismanagement at the Xuyen Viet Oil Travel and Transport Trading Co. and some other entities, the ministry said in a statement on its website. It didn’t provide any further details.