Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa officially submitted her resignation letter on August 1 after she became marred in corruption allegations.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa

Thoa still worked on July 30 and 31 at the Ministry of Industry and Trade but took a day off on August 1 and submitted the letter that night. As Thoa was the party secretary and director of Dien Quang Lamp Company, the resignation will be decided by the Secretariat of the Central Committee.

Another deputy minister has taken over her work. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is waiting for directives from the Central Inspection Commission to deal with violations.

On July 31, the Central Inspection Commission also proposed sacking Thoa from her current positions after its 16th meeting session in Hanoi to discuss a number of violating officials.

During the previous session, the Central Inspection Commission announced that Thoa had broken the law. She approved the appointment of former PetroVietnam Construction JSC chairman and former provincial leader Trinh Xuan Thanh, who was wanted for corruption and turned himself in on July 31, according to the police.

Thoa violated regulations on business equitisation and procedures and wrongly handled VND6.7 billion (USD298,000) exemption of bank loan interest while she was the party secretary and director of Dien Quang Lamp Company, from January 2004 to May 2010.

She also violated regulations on land management in a joint investment between Dien Quang Company with Vietnam Investment Construction Trade JSC in HCM City as the land owner and relevant authorities hadn't approved. Thoa bought shares exceeding the allowed levels and violated Dien Quang Company’s regulations on share transfer.

She is accused of omitting and lying in the assets declaration.

It is estimated that Thoa has lost USD18m as Dien Quang Company shares plummeted. Thoa is holding 5% of Dien Quang Company shares and her family holds nearly 35% of the charter capital.

Thoa's brother is the company's chairman cum general director. Two of her daughters work at the company. One is a member of director boards and deputy director and another daughter is the project director.

dtinews