Walkinshaw, US General Consul Bien Hoa, mentioned, among other things, Colonel Mach Van Truong's corruption case in his 13 August 1973 MR3 Situation Report. General Hieu started his investigation on Colonel Truong's corruption since March 1973.
R 141550Z AUG 73
FM AMEMBASSY SAIGON
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5951
USDEL JEC PARISC O N F I D E N T I A L SAIGON 14683
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINS, PINT, MILI, VSSUBJECT: MR 3 SITREP - 13 AUGUST 1973
FOLLOWING SENT ACTION SAIGON INFO DAO/SAIGON AND USSAG NKP 13 AUG 73. REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO
QUOTE:
BIEN HOA 0391[…]
4. REPRESENTATIVE OF MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT AND HAMLET BUILDING, COL. CHUYEN, TOLD CONGEN LONG KHANH DEVELOPMENT OFFICER RECENTLY THAT LONG KHANH PROVINCE CHIEF COL. MACH VAN TRUONG IS ON HIS WAY OUT DUE TO CORRUPTION. WHEN A CONSUL ASKED ANOTHER PROVINCE CHIEF ABOUT THIS ALLEGATION, LATTER CONFIRMED THAT COL. TRUONG IS IN TROUBLE WITH MR 3 CG LTG MINH. HE ADDED THAT ONE CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AS PROVINCE CHIEF, BUT ONE MUST KNOW HOW AND HOW MUCH TO MAKE. SOME MEN ARE FOOLISH AND TRY TO MAKE A FORTUNE, BUT ONE SHOULD BE SATISFIED TO TAKE CARE OF ONESELF AND GIVE A LITTLE HELP TO ONE'S FRIENDS.
[…]
7. DURING CONSUL'S VISIT TO PHUOC LONG, CEXO FRENCH RUBBER PLANTATION MANAGER PEACHAUD ARRIVED IN PRIVATE AIRCRAFT AND PAID CALL ON PROVINCE CHIEF LUU YEM AND EXPLAINED HE WISHED TO VISIT HIS PLANTATIONS IN PHUOC LONG. YEM LATER TOLD CONSUL THESE PLANTATIONS ARE OPERATING WITHOUT COMMUNIST INTERFERENCE. HE DID NOT THINK FRENCH COMPANY WAS PAYING OFF LOCAL VC, BUT PROBABLY THEY WERE MAKING ONE LARGE YEARLY PAYMENT, PERHAPS IN SAIGON. A PHUOC LONG RESIDENT TOLD CONSUL THAT CEXO HAS ALSO GIVEN YEM A PRIVATE CAR HE USES IN CHO LON
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WALKINSHAW
UNQUOTE MARTIN
CONFIDENTIAL
This document was declassified/released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005
Nguyen Van Tin
02 November 2008