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.