The Supreme People's Procuracy has recently completed the indictment prosecuting 14 defendants in the case of manufacturing counterfeit goods such as food, foodstuff, and food additives; violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences; giving bribes; and intentionally disclosing work secrets.

According to procedural documents, the total actual revenue of MediPhar and MediUSA through manufacturing and trading activities was more than VND1,762 billion. Forensic results determined that 88 products were counterfeit, and revenue from the act of manufacturing and trading these products was more than VN 539 billion.

Defendant Nguyen Nang Manh (former Chair of MediUSA) and his accomplices illegally profited more than VND264 billion.

According to the indictment, in order for the factories of MediUSA and MediPhar to be quickly appraised, post-inspected, and granted GMP certification to begin operations, Manh discussed and agreed with Do Manh Hoang (Director of MediPhar) and Khuc Minh Vu (Director of Viet Duc Company) to pay over VND1 billion to inspection teams led by the Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health.

Specifically, VND330 million was given to Nguyen Thanh Phong (former head of the authority), VND190 million to Nguyen Hung Long (former deputy head), and VND150 million to Cao Van Trung (former deputy head of the poisoning surveillance division).

In addition, the defendants paid a total of VND395 million to 14 individuals, including leaders and members of inspection teams from the Food Safety Authority, the National Institute of Nutrition, and the Hanoi Sub-Department of Food Safety, in exchange for reduced recorded violations, guidance on remediation, and time to fix issues.

During the remediation process, MediUSA and MediPhar only made superficial and formal corrections. However, Cao Van Trung still approved the reports based solely on documents and photos submitted by the companies, without verifying their authenticity.

As a result, Nguyen Hung Long signed four GMP certificates for MediUSA and MediPhar, enabling the companies to produce counterfeit food on a large scale.

According to the indictment, to ensure that product registration dossiers of companies under the MediUSA–MediPhar group were not repeatedly revised, delayed or rejected, Manh instructed employees to bribe officials.

During the process of registering 236 products for nine companies established by Manh, his staff paid a total of VND2.36 billion to officials at the Food Safety Authority, which was then distributed to former leaders and other related individuals.

Bribing customs officials

The indictment also states that, to clear four shipments containing Chondroitin Sulfate Sodium, Nguyen Nang Manh instructed others to contact Nguyen Huu Tuan (former officer of the Customs Supervision and Management Department) and provide document No. 231129/CV-XNK dated November 29, 2023 from Hung Phuong Company to seek help.

Tuan then met Nguyen The Viet (former deputy head of the department) to request support. Viet agreed and instructed Tuan to ask the company about the “fee.”

Tuan later agreed with Manh on a payment of VND1.5 billion in exchange for securing guidance documents from the Ministry of Health for Hung Phuong Company.

At around 2pm on December 14, 2023, at the General Department of Customs (GDC), Manh gave Tuan VND300 million. Later, on the evening of December 29, 2023, Manh handed over the remaining VND1.2 billion. At that time, Tuan returned to Manh document No 10591/QLD-KD issued by the Drug Administration.

On January 4, 2024, Nguyen The Viet signed document No. 11/GSQL-GQ1 and sent it to Hung Phuong Company, as well as to the Customs Departments of Hanoi and Hai Phong.

Based on these documents, the Hanoi Customs Sub-Department for processing goods management allowed Hung Phuong Company to clear backlogged shipments and import new batches of food materials containing Chondroitin Sulfate Sodium.

The indictment concludes that the actions of the former chair of MediUSA constitute the crime of bribery, with a total amount exceeding VND4.9 billion.

T, Nhung