In late 2021 and the entire year of 2022, the public’s attention was drawn to serious cases investigated by MPS. The major cases include "rescue flights" expatriating Vietnamese during the early Covid-19 period, Viet A’s test-kit price inflation, and a case occurring at Advanced International JSC (AIC).

Many staff holding important positions in ministries, branches and localities have been accused of accepting bribes.

‘Rescue flights’ 

After one year of investigation, the investigation agency has prosecuted 41 defendants in a bribery case connected with high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related units and localities.

The defendants charged with accepting bribes include former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung, and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam. Other ambassadors and diplomatic officers working in Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Angola have also been prosecuted on the same charge.

Nguyen Quang Linh, assistant to Permanent Deputy PM; Tran Van Tan, deputy chair of Quang Nam province; Chu Xuan Dung, Vice Mayor of Hanoi; and Tran Van Du, former deputy head of the Vietnam Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security, have also been charged with taking bribes.

The rescue flights bringing Vietnamese home from abroad during the COVID-19 outbreaks were provided beginning in December 2020 with a task force of officials from five ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Ministry of Transportation (MOT), and the Ministry of National Defence.

According to MPS, illegal actions of "self-interest" occurred during the process of licensing companies to offer flights to bring back Vietnamese citizens from overseas. This occurred at the Consular Department at MOFA and relevant units.

Lieutenant General To An Xo, MPS spokesman, said during the Covid-19 outbreaks, about 2,000 flights were provided and the amount of bribes may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. A total of VND80 trillion has been confiscated, frozen or voluntarily returned by the defendants so far.

VND800 billion in bribes 

After one year of investigation of the cases involving inflated Covid-19 test-kit prices at Viet A joint stock company, the investigation agency has prosecuted more than 100 defendants for violations of regulations in bidding, causing serious consequences; abusing power and rights when performing duties; and  bribery.

In addition, directors of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in many provinces and cities have been prosecuted and arrested on charges of bribery.

Pham Duy Tuyen, Hai Duong CDC director, was detained on the charge of receiving VND30 billion in commissions from Viet A company through five contracts with the value of VND151 billion.

Nguyen Tran Tuan, Ha Giang's CDC director, and two co-workers, have been arrested and charged for receiving VND1 billion from Viet A.

Truong Thi Bao Tran of Thu Duc Hosptial and Lo Van Chien of Son La Hospital have also been arrested for taking bribes.

Of the 100 individuals prosecuted on charges related to Viet A, three are former Members of the Central Party Committee, including former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long; former Chair of Hanoi and former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh; and former Hai Duong Party Committee Secretary Pham Xuan Thang.

Former Party Committee secretary, province chairs 

On January 4, the first-instance trial released judgments against former Secretary of Dong Nai provincial Party Committee Tran Dinh Thanh; former Chair of Dong Nai province Dinh Quoc Thai and other defendants in a case that occurred at AIC and relevant units.

Thanh has been sentenced to 14 years, and Thai to 9 years on the same charge of taking bribes.

At the court, Thanh declared that he received bribes six times, including two times at the head office of Dong Nai province’s Party Committee and four times at AIC, totaling VND14.5 billion.

Thai said he received bribes 14 times from Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, former president of AIC, and AIC’s staff, totaling VND14.5 billion.

Nhan was found colluding with investors, consultancy and design units to attend and win 16 bid packages, illegally pocketing VND150 billion.

At a press conference in early 2023, Xo said the investigation agency plans to complete the investigations of the Viet A case in the first quarter of this year.

Doan Bong