US executives convicted of bribery in Vietnam

The president of Nexus Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, together with two brothers and a partner, have been convicted of bribery and sent to prison. They gave bribes to obtain the right to provide equipment to some companies in Vietnam. Vietnamese officials say they still know nothing about the case.





The Philadelphia Business Journal reported that on September 17, Nguyen Quoc Nam, President of Nexus, 52, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, Nguyen Quoc An, 32, in Philadelphia, received a nine month sentence, Nguyen Kim Anh, Deputy President of Nexus, 39, in Philadelphia, was sentenced to two years’ probation and a fine of $20,000. Joseph Lukas was sentenced to two years’ probation and a fine of $1000.

Public prosecutors explained that Nexus, an export company, contacted many US companies specializing in equipment for underwater map surveys, bomb treatment, helicopters parts, and chemicals detectors, as supply sources for some Vietnamese companies.

The official website of Nexus Technologies states that it was established in 1989 in New Jersey to seek business opportunities in Vietnam. It has a representative office on

Truong Dinh Road

in HCM City. The main clients of the company are big economic groups in the fields of oil and gas, aviation, power, seaport, water supply and coal.

Nguyen Quoc Nam was in charge of negotiating contracts and handing out bribes, while Nguyen Kim Anh kept watch over the company’s operation and managed financial transactions. Nguyen Quoc An took the responsibility for seeking US suppliers.

In early 2010, the three brothers and Lukas admitted that from 1999-2008, to obtain equipment supply contracts, they gave bribes to some Vietnamese company leaders, totaling $150,000.

Nexus admitted that it operated criminally and agreed to halt operation.

The Philadelphia Business Journal did not state the names and positions of the Vietnamese business leaders who received these bribes.

On September 20, answering Tuoi tre questions whether or not the law protection agencies have taken any action, agency officials claim they still do not have the case documents.

Deputy Head of the People’s Supreme Procuracy, Hoang Nghia Mai, explained that he only read about the case in the newspaper and has not received any documents. Foreign government agencies have not transferred any files about the case to his agency.

Senior Lieutenant-General Le The Tiem, Deputy Minister of Public Security, had heard about the case, but it has not been reported by the investigation agency.

Five Vietnamese companies are named as having received bribes from Nexus, including PVGas and Vietsovpetro, both subsidiaries of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

Meanwhile, on September 20, Dinh La Thang, Chair of PetroVietnam’s Member Board, claimed that these violations in no way relate to the subsidiaries of PetroVietnam.

Thang maintained that PetroVietnam has received information from the Ministry of Public Security and has instructed officers to fact check and join forces with the Ministry of Public Security to resolve the problem. PetroVietnam asserts that the information on PVGas and Vietsovpetro was inaccurate, and that PVGas and Vietsovpetro is not involved in the bribery case.

Regarding accusations that Nexus Technologies bribred the Southern Region Air Traffic Services (SORATS), the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) on September 20 instructed SORATS to explain everything to Ministry of Transport investigators.

However, a ministry inspector told Tuoi tre newspaper that, in the document sent to inspectors, SORATS affirmed that it did not have any relations with Nexus Technologies and SORATS has never signed any contracts with Nexus.