Former senior officials at Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, including ex-Food Safety Department chief Tran Viet Nga and her husband Le Hoang, received reduced prison terms on appeal Wednesday in a high-profile bribery case tied to licensing procedures at the ministry’s Food Safety Administration.

The High People’s Court in Hanoi ruled on May 27 that all 34 defendants in the case were eligible for sentence reductions, though the court rejected suspended sentence requests for several former officials from the Food Safety Administration.

Former Food Safety Administration director Nguyen Thanh Phong saw his sentence reduced from 20 years to 16 years and six months in prison for accepting bribes. Tran Viet Nga, also a former director of the administration, had her sentence cut from 15 years to 12 years on the same charge.

Le Hoang - Nga’s husband and former deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Preventive Medicine Department - had his sentence reduced from five years to three years in prison.

Other defendants received sentences ranging from 30 months suspended to nine years and six months behind bars. The appellate court also reduced sentences by three to six months for six defendants who had not filed appeals.

Why the court reduced the sentences

According to the appellate panel, Nguyen Thanh Phong and Tran Viet Nga held the highest-ranking positions and played central roles in deciding how money was collected from businesses.

However, after reviewing case files and courtroom arguments, the court found that although Phong did not directly instruct Nga to collect money, Nga understood that senior leadership had established an unofficial practice of soliciting payments from companies and acted accordingly.

“The defendant Nga implicitly accepted the will of defendant Phong. Other defendants followed instructions from superiors to receive money from businesses and divide it among themselves,” the court said.

For defendants accused of offering bribes, including company representatives and individuals, the court said each acted independently. Liability was assessed based on the amount of money paid to officials and department leaders.

The appellate court also decided not to apply aggravating circumstances to any defendant in the case.

The court cited multiple mitigating factors, including cooperation with investigators, expressions of remorse and efforts to remedy the consequences of the crime. Several defendants were also recognized for previous achievements and contributions during their careers.

In addition, all illicit gains had been returned to the state budget, and most damages caused by the case had been addressed. Some defendants voluntarily paid additional compensation, including Nguyen Thanh Phong, who contributed an extra VND70 million (USD2,700).

The appellate panel further noted that the emotional burden and remorse shown by the defendants during the trial reflected a form of punishment in itself.

“The defendants’ inner thoughts, emotional suffering and remorse have demonstrated punishment beyond imprisonment,” the court stated.

Bribery scheme tied to food safety licensing

Prosecutors previously alleged that from 2018 to 2025, several officials and specialists within the Food Safety Administration, along with business representatives, exploited legal procedures to facilitate bribery in exchange for product registration approvals, advertising certification and GMP licensing.

Nguyen Thanh Phong was found responsible for receiving more than VND94.8 billion (USD3.64 million) in bribes and personally benefiting by more than VND43.9 billion (USD1.69 million) through his leadership role.

Tran Viet Nga was held responsible for more than VND12.7 billion (USD488,000) in bribes.

T. Nhung