Speaking at a recent seminar on “The roles and responsibilities of leaders at all levels in anti-corruption - theoretical and practical issues", Deputy Head of the Central Internal Affairs Committee Nguyen Thai Hoc said that a leader plays a very important and even decisive role in the implementation of anti-corruption tasks.

Many leaders commit corruption or lend a hand to corruption

Deputy Head of the Central Internal Affairs Committee Nguyen Thai Hoc

According to Mr. Hoc, an important lesson learned from the recent practice of anticorruption is that political determination is an important factor, but without leaders’ exemplary and serious behavior, political determination cannot become a reality.

"Only when leaders take the lead in fighting against corruption will corruption rarely occur there. On the contrary, when leaders do not want and dare not fight corruption, corruption takes place seriously and in a complicated way at those places," Mr. Hoc said.

Since 2016, 1,121 cases have been detected, with 2,473 corrupt suspects. Of which, only 38 cases with 44 people with corruption-related violations were found through internal inspection and supervision. In the past 5 years, there were only 140 leaders who were punished, with 8 people facing criminal sanction and 82 people were disciplined.

Mr. Hoc said the positive and clear changes in anti-corruption work over the past time, especially since the 12th Party Congress, have clearly affirmed the roles and responsibilities of leaders at all levels.

Leaders of the Party and State, especially General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anticorruption, have been very determined and persistent in directing the detection and handling of many serious corruption cases. As a result, many senior leaders who committed corrupt acts have been strictly punished in the spirit of no restricted areas and no exceptions, regardless of who they are.

Mr. Hoc noted that in many places, the role and responsibility of the leader has not been promoted well. Some avoided, or pushed away the responsibility, or even covered up for corruption cases. More seriously, some leaders committed negative acts, or corruption, or gave a hand to corruption. Such cases have been detected and handled.

Dr. Vu Van Phuc

Dr. Vu Van Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council of Central Agencies, and former Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Journal, said that after all, the role and responsibility of the leader is very important in the corruption fight.

"The Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Home Affairs said that it is necessary to raise the salary for public servants, but I would like to say that many wealthy ones commit corruption," Mr. Phuc noted.

He said the Party's resolution and legal regulations are relatively complete, but it is important that leaders take action. "If the head does not comply with the guidelines and policies of the Party and the regulations of the State, (the situation) remains the same."

"Yesterday I watched TV and saw the news about the meeting between the Politburo and the Standing Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. The General Secretary and the President said, 'You keep talking about the policy, I do not agree with that," Mr. Phuc said.

He raised the question: "With the same mechanism or policy, why are anti-corruption tasks good at some places and not good at others? I think every resolution and regulation, every argument, depends on how the leader performs in practice."

Phuc cited the case of Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung, who was arrested in connection with some legal cases. "It has now been revealed that his wife has a 'backyard' company, and his son also has a very large 'backyard' company,” Phuc said.

Mr. Phuc recalled the case of former Transport Minister Dinh La Thang, who approved a policy related to the collection of tolls on Trung Luong expressway, causing VND725 billion of losses.

Mr. Phuc said that when specific leaders at all levels do not comply with regulations, all measures are ineffective.

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