Trần Dụ Châu

Trần Dụ Châu (1906 – 1950) was an officer in the People's Army of Vietnam who was executed in 1950 because of corruption.

Early life and career
Trần Dụ Châu was born in 1906 in the province of Nghệ An. In 1930, he began working for the French embassy as a secretary and also wrote for Thanh Nghệ Tĩnh newspaper; however he was laid off by the embassy. In 1932, Châu began working as a train employee and became an accounting manager after the Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina (1945). After the August Revolution, he offered a part of his property to the country and started working. In the First Indochina War, shortly after the war broke out, Châu traveled to northern Vietnam, and he was given a mission to move tons of rice and salt to Việt Bắc.

Trial and execution
After going to a wedding with Trần Dụ Châu as the person presiding the wedding, poet wrote a letter to Hồ Chí Minh, accusing Châu of corruption. A military court was established at the hall. On 5 September 1950, a trial was carried out for Trần Dụ Châu, Lê Sỹ Cửu (Châu's assistant), and Bùi Minh Chân (Châu's secretary). Đoàn Phú Tứ was also invited to the trial. After the trial, Trần Dụ Châu was sentenced to death. He also sent an appeal to Hồ Chí Minh but was declined. Châu was executed on 6 September by a firing line. He had taken 57,959 đồng, 149 United States dollars, and other goods worth 143,900 đồng.