Former Director and Colleagues Convicted in Psychiatric Forensic Examination Fraud in Dong Nai

In Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, the People's Court on September 18 sentenced Bui The Hung, former director of the Central Psychiatric Forensic Examination Center in Bien Hoa, to 19 years and 6 months in prison for bribery, abuse of power, and brokering bribes. The court determined that the defendants exploited humanitarian policies, falsified examination records to produce favorable conclusions for those being examined, and engaged in personal profiteering. Le Van Hung, the successor to Hung and former director, received an 18-year sentence for bribery. Tran Van Thanh, former director of the Tay Nguyen Regional Psychiatric Forensic Examination Center, was sentenced to 4 years for bribery. Additionally, 39 other defendants received sentences ranging from two years of probation to eight years in prison. The court emphasized the critical role of psychiatric forensic examination conclusions in investigations, prosecutions, trials, and sentence execution, serving as the basis for determining cognitive ability, behavioral control, criminal responsibility, and the application of compulsory treatment measures. The court warned that falsified conclusions could lead to the neglect of crimes or wrongful convictions. Evidence presented indicated that from January 2016 to June 2024, the defendants were involved in 29 instances of bribery, brokering bribes, or abusing their authority to falsify psychiatric forensic examination records. This resulted in 26 inaccurate examination conclusions and three falsified medical records, along with one case of improper compulsory treatment. The amounts involved per case ranged from VND 20 million to VND 2 billion. Notably, it was revealed that the psychiatric examination records of Vo Thi Thanh Mai, wife of Nguyen Thai Luyen, chairman of Alibaba Real Estate Group, were among those found to be falsified. Former director Bui The Hung participated in 18 examination councils, receiving approximately VND 1.25 billion in bribes and profiting VND 270 million, while also brokering bribes worth VND 250 million. His successor, Le Van Hung, allegedly received VND 768 million in bribes during his tenure from May 2022 to May 2024, having participated in 17 examination councils. The court acknowledged that most defendants confessed and showed remorse, which were considered mitigating factors. However, these actions highlight concerns about corruption within public institutions impacting the judicial process, particularly within Vietnam's one-party system. Such corruption cases pose a challenge to the nation's credibility as a state governed by law amidst its ongoing economic growth.