Media News - Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Vietnam arrests two journalists for alleged false reports on soccer gambling scandal

Vietnamese authorities have arrested two journalists who reported aggressively on a major gambling and bribery scandal that prompted the resignation of the transportation minister, state media reported Tuesday. The two journalists were taken into police custody Monday and accused of reporting ‘false information’ on the case, in which ministry employees gambled millions of dollars on European soccer matches, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported Tuesday. The case led to the conviction of nine people, including several government officials, and the resignation of Transport Minister Dao Dinh Binh. Gambling is illegal in Vietnam. Nguyen Van Hai, 33, of Tuoi Tre and Nguyen Viet Chien, 56, of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper, were accused of ‘abuse of power and authority’ for their reporting on the case, which first surfaced in late 2005, Tuoi Tre reported. The specifics of the charges against the two remained unclear Tuesday. Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien, two of Vietnam's most popular newspapers, were among the most aggressive in covering the scandal. Tuoi Tre reported Tuesday that over the past year, dozens of local journalists have been summoned by police questioning where they obtained information on the case that authorities claimed was incorrect. (AP via International Herald Tribune)

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