Vietnam Airlines Managers Charged in Singapore for Bribery

Three managers from Vietnam Airlines' Singapore branch have been charged with bribery on July 23, according to the Singaporean Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The individuals are accused of accepting bribes in exchange for not collecting excess baggage fees. The charged managers are identified as Amir, a former branch manager, Le Trac Tuan, a former specialist, and Lam Anh Viet, a former branch representative. Information from Vietnam Airlines' 2025 personnel website indicates the presence of Vietnamese staff with similar names working in Singapore. Additionally, Truong Thi Nhung (49, Vietnamese national) and Poh Boon Leong (51, Singaporean national) have also been charged with colluding to bribe the managers. According to the CPIB, Amir is accused of receiving bribes multiple times from Nhung and Poh between 2020 and 2022, totaling S$41,000 (approximately US$30,000). These payments were allegedly made as inducements to waive excess baggage fees that Nhung and Poh would have otherwise had to pay. In June 2022, Amir also faced a separate charge for allegedly receiving S$700 (approximately US$500) from Nhung for the same purpose of overlooking excess baggage charges. During 2023, Tuan is accused of receiving bribes totaling S$6,500 (approximately US$4,800) from Nhung on multiple occasions to forgo collecting excess baggage fees. Furthermore, Tuan is accused of bribing Viet twice in 2023, totaling S$3,000 (approximately US$2,200), to prevent him from reporting Tuan's acceptance of bribes from Nhung to the company. Under Singaporean law, individuals convicted of bribery or corruption can face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to S$100,000 (approximately US$74,000), or both. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on August 20. Vietnam Airlines is a state-linked enterprise, and such incidents raise questions about governance and transparency, particularly within the context of Vietnam's one-party system. This case could potentially impact the airline's reputation and international business dealings.