Rosa Elena Bonilla was detained at her residence on the outskirts of the capital Tegucigalpa, officials said. Police also arrested her brother-in-law and seized documents pertaining to graft accusations. Ana Maria Calderon, interim head of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) said Bonilla and others had embezzled 16 million lempiras ($680,000). “Mrs. Bonilla is accused, along with other former officials, … having created a money laundering network to hide money from the state that was earmarked for social works,” Calderon said. Late last year, Bonilla denied the corruption allegations after voluntarily testifying before prosecutors in the case. Her lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Calderon said Bonilla used part of the money to pay for family members’ educational fees and personal surgeries. Corruption scandals have led to a string of arrests in Central America in recent years, thanks to growing pressure from activists and backing from foreign powers. Bonilla was detained a day after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley visited Honduras to talk about drug trafficking and corruption. Among the funds suspected of being embezzled were about $255,000 donated by Taiwan in 2013 for medical equipment, building materials for poor families and job programs, officials said. Bonilla is also being investigated by prosecutors for suspected anomalies in $330,000 that was designated for the purchase of shoes and uniforms for poor children, officials said. Earlier this month, the head of… [Read full story]
Ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will return to Thailand in May to defend himself against corruption charges, his wife said Wednesday as she pleaded not guilty in a graft case. Pojaman Shinawatra did not speak during the 15-minute hearing at the Supreme Court, and smiled at reporters as she left the building.But she pleaded not guilty in a written filing, which was read out by the judges in court. Her statement said Thaksin, who has also been charged over the same controversial land deal, would return in May to defend himself.Thaksin has been living in self-imposed exile in Britain since the…... [read more]
Graft charges dropped against former vice minister of transport (29-03-2008) HA NOI — Prosecutors yesterday dropped their case against Nguyen Viet Tien, the former deputy transport minister who had been charged in one of the nation's biggest corruption scandals. The decision to drop the case was signed yesterday by People's Supreme Procuracy director Tran Quoc Vuong, who proposed the Transport Ministry and related State agencies return all legal rights and benefits to Tien in accordance with State laws. "We did not find enough evidence to press charges against Tien," People's Supreme Procuracy deputy director Hoang Nghia Mai told the media.…... [read more]
The culture chief at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam said local authorities had done the right thing regarding Thursday’s arrest of two officials involved in the East-West highway project scandal. He said this would begin clearing the way for Japan to reinstate its official development assistance in Vietnam. Seiki Furudate said the embassy officials would keep Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed of the situation. “We understand that Huynh Ngoc Si has not been charged with bribery and was taken into temporary custody for abuse of power,†Furudate said. Si, former head of the East-West Highway and Water Environment Project,…... [read more]
Former leaders of major road project detained on alleged graft charges By Song Nguyen - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC - Police on Wednesday detained two former leaders of the East-West Highway and HCMC Water Environment Project Management Unit on graft charges. Huynh Ngoc Sy, ex-director of the project management unit, and his former deputy Le Qua are alleged to have "abused their positions and power while on duty" in the two Japanese ODA-funded projects, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Police on Wednesday also searched the private residences of Sy and Qua in the city for evidence. The Ministry…... [read more]
A Vietnamese national under investigation for allegedly torturing a two-year-old Cambodian child has been taken into official custody while officers seek criminal prosecution. A Vietnamese national under investigation for allegedly torturing a two-year-old Cambodian child has been taken into official custody while officers seek criminal prosecution. Nguyen Thanh Dung has been arrested on charges of “abusing others,” the investigative police unit under the Ministry of Public Security said Thursday. Dung was nabbed while hiding in Ho Chi Minh City on December 7 after fleeing Cambodia following a viral video showing him beating, strangling, and using a stun gun on a…... [read more]
