Hilton Hanoi boss freed from jail

Hilton Hanoi boss freed from jail

HANOI (Reuters): Vietnamese police have released the head of
the Hilton Hotel's local joint venture partner in Hanoi after she
was detained for alleged gambling activities, officials said on
Thursday.

Le Thi Mao, director of the state-run Dong Loi Tourism Co.,
which holds a 30 percent stake in the US$64-million Hilton Hanoi
Opera Hotel, was released at the end of May but it was unclear if
she had been, or would be charged, a company official said.

The Foreign Ministry in mid-May confirmed Mao's detention but
declined to give specific details about her alleged offenses. It
is not known for how long she was detained.

Communist-ruled Vietnam views gambling, which is mostly
illegal, along with prostitution and drug abuse as a leading
"social evil" that has boomed under a decade of economic
liberalization.