A Vietnamese court on Wednesday sentenced two former local officials to prison for wagering millions of dollars under false foreign identities, in a high-profile gambling trial involving an illegal casino ring operated by South Koreans out of Hanoi’s Pullman Hotel.
Prosecutors said the operation, known as the King Club, involved more than 140 people, including former government and Communist Party officials, entertainers, and businesspeople, who placed bets totalling over US$106 million.
The casino’s slot, roulette, and baccarat machines were licensed for foreign visitors only, but Vietnamese citizens were allegedly given fake membership cards under foreign names to gamble illegally.
Ho Dai Dung, a former vice-chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, who wagered more than US$7 million over 95 sessions, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.
Ngo Ngoc Duc, a former party secretary for Hoa Binh City who bet US$4.2 million, received a three-year sentence.
The alleged mastermind, South Korean national Kim In Sung, remains at large after fleeing to South Korea with over US$9 million of gamblers’ funds. Vietnam’s public security ministry has issued a wanted notice for him.
Four of his accomplices, three South Koreans, received between two and four years in prison, while another was handed a suspended sentence. More than 100 others have yet to be sentenced.
State media said gamblers recovered only 0.22% of their wagers.
