Customs officials accused of aiding Vinalines ex-leader The customs officials have been prosecuted for helping Vinalines ex-leader, Duong Chi Dung, buy an outdated floating dock.   The floating dock No83M  In Vinalines corruption case, the former chairman, Duong Chi Dung, along with his accomplices, have committed various violations of regulation buying and repairing floating dock No83M, which had been de-listed from active service by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Without asking for permission from the Ministry of Transport or for permission from the prime minister, the dock was bought when Vinalines decided to build a ship repair yard in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, despite the corporation not having received land for the project from the local authorities. Without land, Vinalines spent VND30 billion (USD1.4 million) repairing and guarding the dock by April 2010, and VND70 billion (USD3.4 million) was spent to pay off a loan for the purchase of the dock. The total amount reached VND370 billion.  Three customs officials, Huynh Huu Duc, Le Ngoc Trien and Le Van Lung, are all still working at Van Phong Customs Sub-Department in Khanh Hoa Province. When the dock arrived at Van Phong Port, on June 6, 2008, the deputy head of Van Phong Customs Sub-Department, Huynh Huu Duc, quickly assigned the job of examination and verification to Le Ngoc Trien. Even though the document clearly stated that this dock was over 43 years old, Le Ngoc Trien did not report to his higher-ups, but passed on the document to Le Van Lung. Lung went out to check the dock and saw that it was rusty and damaged. However, he let the dock get through. Huynh Huu Duc also appears to have ignored the documents.  Investigation teams made contact with a number of agencies such as the Interpol Office in Moscow, General Department of Vietnam Customs and HCM City Customs Department, and reported that the floating dock had been classified as shipping vessel. According to regulation, imported vessels cannot be older than 15 years old, making no83M clearly ineligible for import.  These officials are now being acused of helping Dung embezzle USD1.6 million and causing losses of nearly VND82.5 billion to the state. In addition, official Le Van Duong, of the Vietnam Register, is also being prosecuted for faking examination reports while inspecting the dock. Previously, Duong Chi Dung and five other offenders were prosecuted for embezzlement and violation of economic rules.  By Anh The | dtinews.vn