Ex-minister on trial in Vietnam

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Vietnam's former deputy trade minister has gone on trial, charged with taking thousands of dollars in bribes from textile companies.

Mai Van Dau, who was arrested in 2004, faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.

Twelve other people are standing trial with him, including his son Mai Thanh Hai and several senior officials.

The case is the latest in a series brought by the ruling Communist Party, against allegedly corrupt officials.

Mai Van Dau is charged with receiving $6,000 in bribes from firms seeking to increase the amount they were allowed to export to the US, above the government-agreed quota.

The alleged scandal came to light when one of the companies involved reported what was happening to the authorities, claiming it had been duped out of the quota it had been promised.

The textile and garment industry is one of the most important in Vietnam - second only to oil.

Garment exports to the US grew from $48m in 2001 to $2.6bn in 2005, Reuters news agency says.

The quota system has now been abolished. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January, allowing its producers freer access to the US market.

The trial is expected to last 10 days, according to state media.

It is the first of several cases to come to court since Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung took office last year, vowing to stamp out high-level corruption.

Many recent cases involve bribery, nepotism and illegal gambling in agencies linked to the transport ministry.