Transport Minister Dao Dinh Binh.

VietNamNet – Transport Minister Dao Dinh Binh on April 3 tendered in his resignation in the wake of a corruption scandal at his ministry.

In his resignation, Mr Binh wrote: “I’m very sorrowful and acknowledge my responsibility for what happened at the Ministry of Transport, at PMU 18, in capital construction management.

“As the leader of the transport sector, I seriously reviewed and I see that, though I’ve tried, I’ve not fulfilled assigned missions. Therefore, I petition for resignation from the post of Transport Minister and Secretary of the Civil Affairs Board of the Ministry of Transport’s Party Committee, and withdraw from the list of participants of the 10^th National Party Congress.”

Mr Binh was appointed as the Transport Minister in 2002. So far, the Government, the Vietnam Communist Party and the National Assembly have asked Mr Binh to review his responsibility for violations at his ministry for four times. As the Transport Minister and Secretary of the Civil Affairs Board of the Party Committee for the Ministry of Transport, Mr Binh has taken responsibility for corruption at PMU 18.

If Mr Binh’s resignation is accepted, he will be the second minister in Vietnam to resign following  Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo.

On April 1, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Transport asking Mr Binh to rewrite his report and submit it by April 15.

PV