Phu Tho (VNA) – The People’s Procuracy of thenorthern province of Phu Tho suggested a jail sentence of between seven yearsand six months to eight years to former Director of the Ministry of PublicSecurity (MoPS)’s Department of High-tech Crime Police Nguyen Thanh Hoa in amajor online gambling case.

Hoa was prosecuted for “abusing position and power whileperforming duties”.

According to the procuracy, former General Director of the MoPS’sGeneral Department of Police Phan Van Vinh was the mastermind who directed Hoato create favourable conditions and cover up for defendants in their gamblingactivities.

Earlier, the procuracy recommended sentencing Vinh tobetween seven to seven and a half years’ imprisonment for the same charge.

The procuracy said that the nature and scope of the case hasendangered society. The 92 defendants involved were charged with “using theinternet to appropriate assets”, “organising gambling”, “gambling”, “illegallytrading invoices”, “laundering money”, and “abusing position and power whileperforming duties”.

During the 28 months of operating software and technologicalsolutions with such card games as Rikvip/Tip.club, 23Zdo, and Zon/Pen, thegames’ operators connected with many services, getting companies to set up asystem of 5,913 outlets to convert game scores into real money and vice versa.

They attracted more than 42.95 million gambling accounts andearned more than 9 trillion VND (384.4 million USD) from the money gamblerssent to the illegal gambling organising service. –VNA