The investigation agency of the Supreme People’s Procuracy recently completed its supplementary investigation conclusion, recommending prosecution of 33 defendants in a case at the Bien Hoa Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute (Ministry of Health, located in Dong Nai province).

Among the defendants, Bui The Hung (former director of the Bien Hoa Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute) faces charges of accepting bribes, brokering bribes, and abusing positions and powers while performing duties. Le Van Hung (former director) faces two charges: accepting bribes and abusing positions and powers while performing duties.

Investigation documents show that from 2016 to April 2024, local investigation agencies issued 2,752 requests for psychiatric evaluations at the Bien Hoa Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute, with total evaluator and assistant allowances settled at over VND16 billion.

Of this amount, the Planning and General Department and the Evaluation Department each received over VND4.1 billion; and the two former directors, Bui The Hung and Le Van Hung, received over VND8.3 billion.

According to the investigation, Bui The Hung and Le Van Hung, during their tenures as directors, abused their positions when instructing Le Thi Ha Nghia (former deputy head of the Planning and General Department) to withhold 50 percent of assistant allowances and 10 percent of evaluator allowances.

Abusing positions to embezzle billions

According to statements from Bui The Hung and Le Van Hung, the money was spent on external affairs and agency work. Nghia directly withheld 50 percent of assistant allowances and 10 percent of evaluator allowances and managing expenditures as directed by the two Hungs.

When distributing payments, Nghia did not prepare statements of total monthly amounts for evaluators and assistants, so when signing receipts from Nghia, evaluators and assistants were unaware of the exact amounts they could receive.

After the investigation agency detected and prosecuted the case, Nghia held a meeting with the Evaluation Department, requesting staff to sign minutes agreeing to withhold evaluator allowances for the director’s use, but staff refused.

The investigation conclusion determined that for assistant allowances, Nghia directly received funds from the Finance and Accounting Department, then consulted Bui The Hung and Le Van Hung, withholding 50 percent to give to the two former directors.

When the Finance and Accounting Department paid assistant allowances via bank transfers to Lam Thi Anh Hong, Do Hong Viet, and Dinh Nguyen Hoang Son’s personal accounts (the assistants at evaluation), after receiving the money they transferred the full amount to Nghia, so that Nghia withheld 50 percent of the amount and transferred it to the directors.

The remaining amount after paying the two former directors was evenly divided between the Planning and General Department and the Evaluation Department for staff distribution.

For evaluator allowances, both Hungs instructed Nghia to withhold 10 percent for personal use.

During Bui The Hung’s term (2016-April 2022), he directed Nghia to carry out this scheme without informing others. Therefore, even the experts, including Le Van Hung, did not know about the 10 percent deduction and continued to sign off on full payment sheets.

In May 2022, when Le Van Hung became director, Nghia reported the 10 percent withholding practice. He agreed and instructed her to continue. 

By May 2023, when the finance department started transferring payments directly into evaluators’ accounts, Le Van Hung organized a meeting asking each expert to return 10 percent to Nghia to form a fund for the director’s external affairs. The experts agreed, on the condition that the money be used appropriately.

The investigation concluded that from January 2016 to April 2022, Bui The Hung embezzled over VND6 billion. From May 2022 to April 2024, Le Van Hung embezzled over VND3 billion.

T. Nhung