VIETNAM. EXPERTS OPPOSE SCRAPPING OF DEATH SENTENCE FOR GRAFT, BRIBERY

September 5, 2008: a proposal to remove capital punishment for crimes of corruption and taking bribes was strongly opposed by law experts at a criminal-law drafting session of Ho Chi Minh City’s Bar Association (HBA) in Vietnam.
HBA Chairman Nguyen Dang Trung said it was necessary to keep the strict punishment considering the current corruption climate. Moreover, the battle against corruption and taking bribes was a top priority for the Communist Party and the government, he said. Chief Justice of the HCMC People’s Court, Bui Hoang Danh, also suggested “careful consideration” was needed before excluding bribe-taking and graft offenders from the death sentence. (Sources: Thanhnien News, 06/09/2008)