HANOI (AFP) — Two Vietnamese journalists who led criticism of a major corruption scandal in the communist country have been arrested for "abuse of power," media reported on Tuesday.
The journalists, Nguyen Van Hai and Nguyen Viet Chien, work respectively for Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien. The two daily newspapers were among the most active media covering the scandal when it broke.
Several newspapers reported Tuesday the pair would be detained in preventative custody for four months following their arrest on Monday.
The media also said they had cleared out their homes and offices.
Hai and Chien played a key role in 2006 in the denunciation of the so-called "PMU 18" scandal which involved a department of the transport ministry in charge of building key infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.
During their investigation, police suspected the money embezzled from the department, which is funded largely by Japan and the World Bank, was to be wagered on international football matches.
The story broke on the eve of the 10th congress of the ruling communist party but most Vietnamese media gave extensive coverage to the scandal, despite being largely controlled by the state.
But the two journalists' unusual outspokenness brought them to the attention of then prime minister Phan Van Khai, who called for those spreading "false" news relating to the scandal to be punished.
The arrest of the campaigning reporters provoked a strong response in the editorials carried by their papers.
"There were more than 1,000 news articles on the PMU 18 affair published in nearly 100 newspapers but why were only two journalists from the Thanh Nien and Tuoi Tre arrested? These are questions which demand answers," the Thanh Nien said.
The Tuoi Tre said its reporter "is paying the price for his news on the PMU-18 affair, a matter which is not yet over but which unravels in a very strange manner."
The newspaper wrote of a parody of justice in "which the journalist is the victim."
In 2006, the scandal led to the resignation of transport minister Dao Dinh Binh and the arrest of his deputy, Nguyen Viet Tien.
Last year, eight other former officials were sentenced to up to 13 years in prison, including the former head of department PMU 18, Bui Tien Dung.
They however were convicted of organising illegal bets and trying to use bribery to cover it up.
The Vietnamese press had then sounded the possibility of another case, which could have involved Nguyen Viet Tien.
But the former deputy minister, the most senior official linked to the affair, was cleared in March without facing court.
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