Viet A test kits

In the case of Viet A Corporation, three high ranking officials were involved: Nguyen Thanh Long (former Minister of Health), Chu Ngoc Anh (former Minister of Science and Technology), and Pham Xuan Thang (former Hai Duong provincial Party Secretary).

The allegations state that as Covid-19 spread, Phan Quoc Viet, chair and CEO of Viet A Corporation, conspired and bribed leaders and officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s (MST), Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Government Office, for the right to participate in the national research project on test kit development.

Using different deceptive acts, the accused turned State-owned testing products into the proprietary products of Viet A Corporation. The company then manufactured test kits in masses and sold the products at sky-high prices, pocketing large illicit profits.

To boost test kit sales in local areas, Viet and his staff colluded with public health leaders and officers to circumvent bidding laws and formalize procedures unlawfully.

The appellate court confirmed that Viet gave bribes totaling over VND106 billion, resulting in the loss of over VND1.235 trillion, including a VND402 billion loss to the State budget.

For these offenses, in January 2024, Nguyen Thanh Long was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Hanoi People's Court; Chu Ngoc Anh to 3 years, and Pham Xuan Thang to 5 years.

After the first trial, only Nguyen Thanh Long appealed for a reduced sentence, while Ngoc Anh and Pham Xuan Thang did not.

In May 2024, the Hanoi High People's Court partially accepted Nguyen Thanh Long's appeal, reducing his sentence from 18 to 17 years for "receiving bribes".

Former Government Office head alters inspectors’ conclusions 

In the case concerning Saigon Dai Ninh Corporation, of 10 defendants who were brought to trial, nine were former state officials, including Mai Tien Dung, former Minister and Head of the Government Office, Tran Duc Quan, former Lam Dong provincial Party Secretary, and Tran Van Hiep, former Chair of Lam Dong People's Committee.

For their involvement in helping Nguyen Cao Tri, CEO of Saigon Dai Ninh, alter inspection findings, on January 20, 2025, Mai Tien Dung was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment; Tran Duc Quan to 5 years and 6 months in prison; Tran Van Hiep to 6 years and 6 months; and Nguyen Cao Tri to 3 years in prison.

According to the first-instance judgment, due to violations in land management and investment in construction, the Government Inspectorate issued Inspection Conclusion No929, requesting to terminate the operation and take back land that had been allocated to the Dai Ninh project.

After buying back the Dai Ninh project, Nguyen Cao Tri engaged in corruption with officials from the Government Office and leaders of Lam Dong Province. After receiving money from Tri, these defendants helped him change the content of Inspection Conclusion No 929. Instead of requesting to stop operation and claim back land as initially concluded, the altered conclusion said the project was allowed to continue implementation. The behavior caused serious consequences.

In this case, Quan was found to receive bribes five times, totalling VND2.1 billion from Tri; while Tran Van Hiep received VND4.2 billion in total, and Mai Tien Dung received VND200 million.

The case with record-high number of defendants 

The case that occurred at the Vietnam Register (VR) is one of the cases with the highest number of defendants in the history of litigation, with up to 254 defendants.

The scandal involved two directors. By accepting bribes from subordinates to overlook violations at vehicle inspection centers nationwide, on January 22, the High People's Court in HCM City sentenced Tran Ky Hinh to 17 years for "receiving bribes" and 5 years for "abusing power and position in performing official duties”. The total sentence for both charges was 22 years in prison. Dang Viet Ha was sentenced to 17 years for "receiving bribes".

The appellate ruling stated that Tran Ky Hinh accepted money from department heads to overlook violations during vehicle inspections, amounting to over VND7.164 billion.

Upon assuming the position of director, instead of addressing and rectifying corrupt practices, Dang Viet Ha instructed subordinates to increase personal financial gains to the highest level. Consequently, Ha received more than VND8.5 billion in bribes from his subordinates.

N. Huyen