Vietnam arrests former CEO of PetroVietnam Oil Corp for 'abusing power'

Vietnam has arrested a former senior executive of a state-owned oil company for "abusing power to appropriate property", the government said on Thursday.

Nguyen Xuan Son, former chief executive officer of PetroVietnam Oil Corp (PVOIL), was arrested for alleged involvement in siphoning the interest earned from PVOIL's account with domestic lender Ocean Bank, the government said in a statement.

PVOIL is a trading arm of the state oil firm PetroVietnam, formally known as Vietnam Oil and Gas Group.

Reuters could not reach Son's lawyer for comment.

Vietnamese police have also arrested PVOIL's former chief accountant, Vu Trong Hai, on a similar charge, the government said.