Vietnamese official under fire for beating chauffeur who took wrong turn

Inspectors in the northern province of Ninh Binh are looking into an incident that involved a top official assaulting his driver for taking a wrong turn.

Over the past days, the mainstream media has ran different reports about Vu Duc Dung, director of the province’s Department of Science and Technology, attacking his chauffeur during an official trip, apparently from the account of the driver Vu Ham Linh.

Dung reportedly slapped, punched and kicked Linh in the street after he mistakenly drove past his hotel.

A source from the province’s Department of Science and Technology told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the incident happened on the night of July 13 while the pair were visiting the central province of Nghe An.

Linh reported the assault to the department immediately after the trip.

Dung admitted to his actions at a recent meeting and apologized to Linh, saying he would “learn from the experience”.

Inspectors have still not reached a conclusion on the case, but an editorial by Voice of Vietnam broadcast on Monday called Dung's actions “thug-like” and suggested that an apology was not enough. It also questioned if the official would treat members of the public in the same way.