Vietnam Health Ministry Deputy Minister's Corruption Case Under Central Scrutiny

The Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Waste has decided to place a corruption case involving Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan and other related individuals under its direct supervision. This move aims to accelerate the investigation and prosecution of complex corruption cases that have garnered significant public attention. The case, which centers on alleged smuggling, serious accounting violations, and bribery at Viet My Medical Investment Joint Stock Company and its affiliated entities, was officially added to the committee's monitoring list during a meeting on September 17, chaired by General Secretary and President To Lam. Alongside the addition of this case, the committee announced the conclusion of its monitoring for five other cases. These include investigations related to bribery at the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Project Management Board, land management violations in Nha Trang, bribery and corruption in Da Nang and other localities, abuse of power at Tay Nguyen Regional General Hospital, and banking misconduct at a branch of Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB). By the end of the year, judicial bodies are expected to conclude investigations, prosecutions, and trials for seven cases and three incidents. Key focus areas include serious cases of bidding violations, bribery, and corruption involving the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), as well as cases of bidding violations, accounting irregularities, asset embezzlement, bribery, and corruption at the National Power Transmission Corporation and its related companies. The Party Committee of the Supreme People's Court has also been tasked with resolving asset recovery issues in the Van Thinh Phat, SCB Bank, Pham Cong Danh, Tran Phuong Binh, and Hua Thi Phuon cases. According to regulations, cases placed under the committee's direct supervision are those involving serious corruption or suspected corruption, complex issues of public concern, or those that significantly damage the reputation and integrity of officials and undermine public trust in the Party and State. Cases of significant waste of public funds and assets also fall under this category. In the Viet My Medical Investment JSC case, former Chairman Bui Chan Phuong and two subordinates have been detained on charges of smuggling and serious accounting violations. The company, established in 2007 with Phuong holding a 90% stake, had won numerous bids worth trillions of dong since 2018. Investigators have preliminarily determined that Phuong established and operated businesses in Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong to inflate prices of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals before importing them into Vietnam. This practice allegedly generated illicit profits, caused budget losses, and harmed patient interests. Authorities also accuse Phuong of exploiting import permits granted by the Ministry of Health for main equipment to illegally introduce other devices into the country. Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, along with Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Huy Ngoc and Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital Director Le Dinh Son, were arrested on charges of receiving bribes. Source: VnExpress