Alleged paedophile handed to police

HAI PHONG — Police here have arrested internationally wanted paedophile David Lai Van Mai who was wanted by United States police on charges of child sexual abuse.

Mai was arrested and delivered to Interpol Office in Ha Noi on Saturday by Hai Phong City police.

Mai, who was born in Viet Nam in 1950, had been living in San Francisco, California, since 1980.

He returned to Viet Nam in August 2007, allegedly to visit his relatives. However, it is believed he was on the run at the time.

During his stay in Viet Nam, Mai lived at his brother's house in Dai Dong Commune, Kien Thuy District, in Hai Phong. While back in Viet Nam, he is reported to have had son with a Vietnamese woman.

Mai was arrested last Saturday at Hai Van Hotel in Van Lam District in Hung Yen Province. He is reported to have been planning to leave the country at the time.

83 Party members hit for corruption

TRA VINH — The Anti-corruption Steering Committee in southern Tra Vinh Province has disciplined 83 Party members for corruption in the first six months of the year, said Pham Quoc Thoi, deputy head of the committee.

Committee inspectors had also discovered the misuse of VND3.5 billion (US$183,000) by eight Stated-owned enterprises.

Long Duc Industrial Parks' Infrastructure Development Company was also found to have misused VND517 million ($27,000) over the past three years._VNS