A former mayor of Hanoi could face prosecution as officials probe suspected irregularities in a city construction project launched under his watch.
Hoang Van Nghien, who served as mayor from 1995 to 2004, allowed a company to take over a major urban development project in 2001 with no feasibility study or proof of its financial backing, according to state media reports last week.
The State Inspectorate, Vietnam's chief anti-corruption agency, has announced a special 45-day investigation of the case.
Mr Nghien, who is also a member of the powerful central committee of Vietnam's Communist Party, previously attracted attention last year for driving luxury vehicles at state expense.
The probe is the latest in a series involving high-ranking officials in the past few years, many triggered by the state-controlled media, which has been given a long leash for chasing corruption stories.
Several officials were jailed for corruption in 2003 in the widely reported case of Nam Cam, a gangster executed for running a major gambling and prostitution ring. In 2004, the minister of agriculture was sacked for failing to prevent a corruption scandal in his ministry. And last year, top officials with at least three large state-owned corporations were investigated or prosecuted on corruption charges.