As reported by VietNamNet, the Supreme People’s Procuracy has completed an indictment to prosecute 55 defendants in a bribery case at the Vietnam Food Safety Authority (VFSA) under the Ministry of Health (MOH). Former Director Nguyen Thanh Phong is accused of profiting nearly VND44 billion.

The purpose of the bribes was to obtain appraisal and issuance of Product Disclosure Registration Certificates, Advertising Content Confirmation, and appraisal and post-inspection of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Certificates.

Regarding the appraisal of dossiers for Product Disclosure Registration Certificates, Decree 15/2018/ND-CP stipulates that organizations and individuals producing or trading health supplements, mixed food additives with new uses, or additives not yet on the permitted list must register their product disclosure with MOH.

The newly issued Decree 15 contained many new requirements that make it difficult for businesses to comply with, especially regarding scientific documents proving product effects and dosages. Exploiting these gaps, experts and leaders at VFSA repeatedly sent requests for amendments with vague and confusing content, prolonging the issuance process.

To complete dossiers quickly, some service individuals and businesses agreed with VFSA experts to pay "additional fees" averaging VND5 to VND10 million per dossier, depending on the timing and type of document.

Investigation found that VFSA officials received bribes during the appraisal and post-inspection for issuing GMP Certificates to MediUSD Joint Stock Pharmaceutical Company (MediUSD Company).

Between 2020 and 2024, Nguyen Nang Manh, Chair of MediUSD Company, spent a total of more than VND1 billion to VFSA for the appraisal and issuance of four GMP Certificates for the factories of MediUSD Company and Mediphar Joint Stock Pharmaceutical Company (Mediphar Company).

The payments aimed to influence the inspection teams (led by VFSA with participation from the Hanoi Food Safety Authority and the National Institute of Nutrition) to minimize recorded errors, provide guidance on "fixing" them, and give time for the companies to rectify violations.

On this basis, Cao Van Trung (then Deputy Head of the Poisoning Monitoring Department – VFSA) proposed that Nguyen Hung Long (former Deputy Director of VFSA) sign four GMP Certificates with a 3-year term. Without these certificates, the factories could not operate, severely affecting business.

‘Money talks’

In order to be scheduled early for GMP appraisal, Manh and Cao Van Trung agreed that Manh would give Trung VND30 million, of which VND10 million would be given to former Deputy Director Nguyen Hung Long and VND20 million to former Director Nguyen Thanh Phong.

After the VFSA decided to take inspection tours to the factories, on June 15, 2020, October 15, 2020, November 20, 2023, and November 4, 2024, Manh gave Trung a total of VND120 million across four occasions. Trung divided this money and gave it to Long and Phong multiple times.

On June 19, 2020, the inspection team appraised Mediphar factory and concluded that several issues remained, requiring remediation and a written report within 90 days. On the same day, at Trung’s request, Manh paid VND165 million to the inspection team.

On November 23, the inspection team appraised the MediUSD factory; at Trung’s request, Manh also paid VND190 million so that everything would be “smooth.” On October 22, 2020, when the inspection team appraised the Mediphar factory, Manh paid VND180 million to the team, again at Trung’s request.

On January 4, 2024, when the inspection team conducted another appraisal at the Mediphar factory and recorded remaining shortcomings requiring remediation, Manh continued to pay VND210 million to the inspection team.

Subsequently, the inspection team concluded and recommended that MediUSD and Mediphar address the shortcomings and report in writing to VFSA.

Although the two companies’ remediation reports were superficial and merely formalistic, Trung only evaluated the reports based on documents and photos provided by the companies, without verifying their accuracy. He then proposed that VFSA leadership issue four GMP certificates to the two factories.

According to the indictment, on November 9, 2022, an inspection team conducted a food safety inspection at the Mediphar factory and recorded a violation of “not taking samples due to absence of products in the warehouse.”

At that time, Manh asked Trung to overlook the issue and paid the inspection team VND200 million at Trung’s request. As a result, the inspection team issued a record stating “no recommendations.”

Investigation results determined that over five appraisal and post-inspection occasions, Manh paid a total of more than VND1 billion to Trung. Trung then gave VND330 million to former Director Nguyen Thanh Phong, VND190 million to former Deputy Director Nguyen Hung Long, kept VND150 million for himself, and distributed the remaining amount to other members of the inspection teams.

T. Nhung