The Police Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security has completed the investigation conclusions for two cases including giving bribes and receiving bribes occurring at the Vietnam Food Safety Administration (Ministry of Health) and the case of forgery in work, giving bribes, and taking advantage of influence over people with positions and power for personal gain.

A number of business tycoons have been recommended for prosecution in both cases. In the case of falsifying documents in official duties, investigators have so far named 42 out of 655 intermediary companies and individuals involved in brokering fake testing result certificates at TSL Company and Avatek Company.

Among them is Fosi International Food Service JSC (Fosi Company), headed by Tran Quang Hai as director. According to the investigation conclusion, Hai discussed and agreed with employees of TSL Company and Avatek Company that when Fosi’s customers needed fast processing to obtain testing results, the two companies would issue testing result certificates without requiring product samples, or samples would be submitted but testing would be rushed without actual analysis. In some cases, actual test results were altered to meet the indicators requested by Fosi Company.

The investigation determined that during 2020–2023, TSL Company issued 2,621 fake testing result certificates for Fosi Company’s customers, collecting more than VND3.1 billion in testing fees, of which Tran Quang Hai received discounts of more than VND591 million.

In 2023–2025, Avatek Company continued to issue 2,972 fake testing result certificates for Fosi Company’s customers, collecting more than VND2.5 billion in testing fees, with Hai receiving discounts of more than VND900 million.

Regarding the bribery case at the Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health, Tran Quang Hai has been prosecuted for offering bribes. According to the allegations, during procedures to register product disclosures, Hai transferred more than VND5.4 billion to officials of the Food Safety Authority in exchange for guidance and favorable conditions in obtaining acceptance certificates and limiting repeated requests for document revisions and supplements.

Investigators also determined that one of Fosi Company’s customers was linked to the group involved in producing Kera candy.

Business owner prosecuted twice

Novaco Pharmaceutical JSC is chaired by Pham Duc Thuan. The company’s management includes Nguyen Quang Hung as general director from 2011 to September 2022, Nguyen Van Luc as general director from September 2022 to the present, and Vu Van Toa as director of Novaco’s HCMC branch.

The investigation found that during 2020–2023, TSL Company issued 919 fake testing result certificates for Novaco Pharmaceutical JSC and its customers, collecting more than VND744 million in testing fees, with Novaco receiving discounts of more than VND98 million.

In 2023–2025, Avatek Company continued to issue 28 fake testing result certificates for Novaco and related customers.

In the case at the Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health, Pham Duc Thuan, Nguyen Quang Hung, and Vu Van Toa have been prosecuted for offering bribes.

According to the allegations, Novaco’s main business lines include trading functional foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and providing product disclosure services for organizations and individuals.

Due to a prior relationship with Dinh Quang Minh, director of the Center for Application and Training in Food Safety under the Food Safety Authority, when carrying out product disclosure services, Thuan contacted Minh to seek favorable conditions during dossier appraisal and proposed that Novaco employees be allowed to directly liaise for guidance on completing procedures.

In 2019–2021, Pham Duc Thuan, Nguyen Quang Hung, and Vu Van Toa allegedly directed the accounting department to transfer a total of more than VND3.8 trillion to Dinh Quang Minh.

In addition, in the bribery case at the Food Safety Authority, another female tycoon, Tran Thi Quynh Trang, was also named. According to the investigation conclusion, Trang is alleged to be the largest bribe-giver, with a total amount exceeding VND33 billion during 2018–2024, in exchange for guidance, support, and favorable conditions in obtaining acceptance and certification documents.

In the second case, Tran Thi Quynh Trang was determined to have discussed and agreed with employees of TSL Company and Avatek Company to issue testing result certificates without requiring product samples, or to conduct expedited checks without actual testing.

T. Nhung