Former Vĩnh Phúc Chairman Lê Duy Thành Reimbursed Over 21 Billion VND and 330,000 USD in Overpayment

Hanoi's Civil Judgment Enforcement Department announced on July 26 that Mr. Lê Duy Thành, former Chairman of Vĩnh Phúc Province, has completed his civil enforcement obligations in the Phúc Sơn Group corruption case. Consequently, over 21.3 billion VND and 330,000 USD, which his family had overpaid in relation to the case, have been returned. Mr. Thành was accused of receiving bribes totaling 49.8 billion VND from Nguyễn Văn Hậu, Chairman of Phúc Sơn Group. At the first-instance trial, it was revealed that investigative agencies had seized 1.63 million USD and over 41 billion VND from Mr. Thành. These were amounts voluntarily submitted by his family and discovered during the search of his residence. Prior to the appellate trial, Mr. Thành had voluntarily paid additional funds for compensation. During the trial, he further contributed 200 million VND to a State Treasury account, which was recognized as a gesture of voluntary remorse and a desire to rectify the consequences. In December 2025, the Hanoi High People's Court reduced Mr. Thành's sentence from 12 years to 8 years and 6 months imprisonment. In the same case, Ms. Hoàng Thị Thúy Lan, former Secretary of the Vĩnh Phúc Provincial Party Committee, had her sentence reduced from 14 years to 11 years and 6 months. Ms. Lan was accused of receiving bribes totaling 47.9 billion VND from Nguyễn Văn Hậu. According to the case file, during the implementation of 14 projects in Vĩnh Phúc, Phú Thọ, and Quảng Ngãi provinces, Nguyễn Văn Hậu offered bribes and gifts exceeding 130 billion VND to numerous officials to gain illicit advantages. Specifically, Ms. Hoàng Thị Thúy Lan and Mr. Lê Duy Thành were identified as having received a combined total of over 97.7 billion VND. This case highlights the deep-rooted corruption within Vietnam's administrative system and the illicit exploitation of economic development benefits by high-ranking officials. The reimbursement of overpaid funds can be seen as a procedural aspect of the legal process, but further efforts are needed to restore public trust.