The Central Steering Committee for Anti-corruption has proposed establishing four working teams to look into notorious graft scandals in 8 localities in the remaining months of the year.

Nguyen Ba Thanh, head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs, reviewed progress in combating corruption in the first six months.

It will examine corruption prevention and control in a number of centrally-run agencies and organisations, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Social Insurance, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The tasks were unveiled at the committee’s meeting in Hanoi on July 9 to review corruption prevention in the first six months of the year, and set orientations in the second half.

In his report, Nguyen Ba Thanh, head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs and deputy head of the committee, noted that combating corruption made progress in the first six months thanks to prompt and close guidance from the steering committee.

Relevant agencies, including the People’s Procuracy and People’s Court, worked hard to complete trials of key graft scandals of great public concern, including those relating to bank embezzler Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu, bank swindler Vu Duc Kien, and Vinashin embezzler Duong Chi Dung.

Investigation agencies brought to light 102 cases and prosecuted 198 defendants for corruption. As many as 277 people were prosecuted for corruption by grassroots-level people’s procuracies, and 217 defendants stood trial at local people’s courts on corruption charges.

Party leader nguyen Phu Trong emphasised the importance of corruption prevention at the meeting

Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed progress in corruption prevention and pointed out weaknesses in legislation, communications, coordination between relevant agencies, and their operations.

He said combating corruption remains a complicated, tough task that requires perseverance and determination of every member of the steering committee and their standing representative agency – the Central Commission for Internal Affairs.  

Corruption prevention and control is an important task of the entire political system, he said, adding that a greater effort is needed to perfect legislation to tighten loopholes, enhance communications, and bring key cases to light.

VOV/VNN