Vu Van Ninh, 64, former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam during the 2011-2016 tenure – PHOTO: VGP

The Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee said in a statement released today, May 5, that the commission had looked into signs of violations by the Party unit of the Transport Ministry during a session in Hanoi City from April 24 to 26.

The Party unit was found to have seriously violated the Party working regulations, have shown a lack of responsibility, as well as have not done right in its leadership, direction and inspections.

As a result, many violations and shortcomings occurred during the execution of the equitization of SOEs and the divestment of State capital from some businesses under the management of the Transport Ministry.

The board’s former Party Secretary and former Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, 59, should be held primarily responsible for the violations and shortcomings of the Party unit and the Transport Ministry, due to his role as the ministry's leader.

Having been expelled from the Party, Thang is serving his combined sentences of 30 years for irregularities during his time as the chairman of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN).

Meanwhile, other members of the board, who are serving as deputy ministers of transport, namely Nguyen Hong Truong, Nguyen Van Cong, Nguyen Ngoc Dong, and Nguyen Nhat, should be held accountable for such wrongdoings in general, and their respective roles in their assigned tasks.

Pham Viet Muon, former Vice Chairman of the Government Office, also committed violations and shortcomings in advising Government leaders, including former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh who took office from 2011 to 2016, on the principles behind the equitization and State capital divestment from some business under the Transport Ministry.

Their violations have caused huge losses of money and other assets for the State, severely damaging the reputation of the Party unit and the Transport Ministry and causing public concern. This is why they should be subject to disciplinary action, according to the inspection commission.

Violations at Defense Ministry

The watchdog also inspected the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the Naval Force under the Defense Ministry, and came to the conclusion that the board had seriously violated many principles and working regulations, shown a lack of responsibility, and slackened their leadership and inspection.

Consequently, a number of officers and Party members in the Naval Force were already held subject to criminal liability.

Admiral Nguyen Van Hien, 65, former member of the Party Central Committee and of the Central Military Commission, and former Deputy Minister of Defense between 2009 and 2016, should share the responsibility for the violations and shortcomings by the standing board during the time he served as Vice Secretary of the Party committee and Commander of the force.

Hien should also bear the primary responsibility for the violations and shortcomings of the force in management and use of defense land.

Vice Admiral Nguyen Van Tinh, former member of the Party Central Committee and of the Central Military Commission, and former Secretary of the Party Committee of the Naval Force and former Political Commissar of the force, should bear the responsibility as a top leader for these mistakes of the standing board.

Rear Admiral Le Van Dao, former member of the Party Committee and former Deputy Commander of the Naval Force, should bear the shared and personal responsibility for the same mistakes.

According to the watchdog, the violations of the standing board and these aforesaid officers have caused great losses of State money and property, negatively affecting the prestige of the Party organization and the army.

The inspection commission also gave a warning to Lieutenant General Nguyen Hoang Thuy, who is serving as Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and Commander of Military Zone 9 based in the Mekong Delta, and stripped all Party positions of Colonel Truong Thanh Nam, who is member of the Party Committee and deputy chief of staff of Military Zone 9 and also former Vice Secretary of the Party committee and Commander of Division 8 under Military Zone 9. SGT