A Vietnamese former state oil executive who was allegedly kidnapped from Germany was sentenced to life in prison for embezzlement Monday, in the highest-profile corruption trial to target the Communist country's business and political elite.

Trinh Xuan Thanh, the ex-head of state-run PetroVietnam Construction, was sentenced to "14 years in prison for mismanagement and life in prison for embezzlement", according to state-run VNExpress news site.