Police in Vietnam have arrested three more executives at PetroVietnam Construction JSC, a brand of state oil company PetroVietnam, on charges of economic mismanagement, widening investigations involving the company whose former chairman has also been arrested.

Probes into PetroVietnam have been in the spotlight since its former chairman Trinh Xuan Thanh was arrested on allegations of corruption.

The latest actions were announced in a statement published on the Ministry of Public Security website. It said that police had issued arrest warrants for current chairman Nguyen Anh Minh and two other officials of PetroVietnam‘s construction brand, who were accused of embezzlement and intentional breach of state rules for economic management causing serious consequences.

Former Petro Vietnam (PVN) chairman Nguyen Xuan Son (R) is escorted by police as he leaves the court after the verdict session in Hanoi, Vietnam September 29, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

On Friday, a court in Vietnam sentenced to death former chairman of PetroVietnam Nguyen Xuan Son after finding him guilty in a mass trial of 51 officials and bankers accused of graft and mismanagement that led to losses of $US69 million.

The death sentence was the first time in years it had been given to such a senior former official and came amid an intensifying corruption crackdown.

Son maintained his innocence and would appeal the verdict from the People’s Court of Hanoi, his lawyer, Le Minh Tam, told Reuters.

Reuters