VietNamNet Bridge - The chief and vice chief of the Vietnam Cinema Agency have submitted their resignations to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST), following strong protests from the movie industry about the alleged embezzlement of $2 million from the department’s fund and the failure to investigate it for long.
Lai Van Sinh and Le Ngoc Minh, the chief and deputy chief, and the rest of the managing board had claimed to be ignorant that chief accountant, Pham Thanh Hai, had fled with VND42 billion (US$ 2 million) in 2009 and did not institute a probe until recently.

It triggered widespread anger in the movie community, with filmmakers, writers, and actors dashing off a letter to higher authorities last month, asking for a probe and for Sinh to accept his responsibility.

There were indications of corruption and a cover-up by the leaders, they wrote in the letter sent to the President, Prime Minister, head of the Central Propaganda Department, and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, since the embezzlement had gone on for three years but they claimed to know nothing about it. Besides, the department’s main bank account was in Sinh’s name, they pointed out.

To Van Dong, chief of the MoCST, confirmed that Lai Van Sinh and Le Ngoc Minh sent their resignations to Minister Hoang Tuan Anh. The ministry has set up an investigation group to work with the Vietnam Cinema Agency over the scandal this week. According to Dong, investigators had turned up no evidence of corruption.

“This is a swindling case so investigators have to be very carefully to verify responsibility of individuals,” Dong said.

Dong and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai will replace Sinh and Minh to organize the 17th Vietnam Film Festival in the central province of Phu Yen this December.

People’s Artist Tran Phuong said that this is not good news. “We sent letters to state leaders not to purge anyone, but to ask the State to investigate the case and take money back to the Cinema Agency’s fund. We are very sad to see Vietnam’s cinema is going down.”

Script writer Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, former chairwoman of the Vietnam Cinema Association, said: “This is indispensable. They should do what they need to do. We should be familiar to the culture of resignation. Vinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group) owes several billion USD but nobody resigns. Resignation by the Cinema Agency’s officials is laudable.”

She said the biggest concern after this scandal is that the funding for the cinema sector will be restricted since the Cinema Agency has mislaid the trust of the higher authorities.

Vietnam considering int’l search for cinema department’s accountant

The Vietnam Ministry of Public Security is working with Interpol to issue an international search warrant for the former accountant at the Central Cinema Department who is now wanted nationwide following the embezzlement of a hefty sum of money.

Pham Thanh Hai, 34, is charged with forging documents and misappropriating VND42 billion (US$2 billion) from the department.

He was just a staff member of the department’s finance and accounting office, but authorized to withdraw money from banks when the chief accountant was absent.

Hai was found having faked payment orders and signatures to take out the money from the department’s bank accounts between 2009 and May 2011.

He is suspected to have fled overseas.

Earlier, the head of the Central Cinema Department and his deputy were forced to step down following strong protests from movie industry influences about the misappropriation.

Industry influential people have hinted at corruption and a cover-up by the two since the embezzlement had gone on for three years but the duo claimed to know nothing about it.

PV