From left: Nguyen Minh Tuan, Nguyen Nam Lien, and Trinh Thanh Hung, who are among the suspects in the COVID-19 test kit overcharging at the Viet A Technologies JSC (Photo: mps.gov.vn)

Lt. Gen. To An Xo, Spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, said on December 31 that the ministry’s investigation police agency has launched a probe into Nguyen Minh Tuan (former Director of the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s department for health care equipment and projects), Nguyen Nam Lien (Director of the MoH’s department for financial planning), and Trinh Thanh Hung (Deputy Director of the department of science and technology for economic technical branches under the Ministry of Science and Technology) for their alleged abuse of position and power while performing duties.

Police have found that some officials of the centres for disease control (CDC) in Nghe An and Binh Duong provinces colluded with General Director of the Viet A company Phan Quoc Viet and others of this company as well as the Vietnam Development Applied Technologies Co. Ltd (VNDAT) in this case.

Initial investigation results show that they violated the Law on Bidding when inviting bids for the procurement of supplies for the COVID-19 prevention and control, causing “particularly serious consequences”.

Legal actions have also been launched against related suspects at the CDCs of Nghe An and Binh Duong and the Health Department of Binh Duong.

VNDAT Director Nguyen Truong Giang, an employee named Nguyen Thi Thuy of the VNDAT, and Regional Director of the Viet A Company Le Trung Nguyen are being probed for “violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences”.

In addition, Phan Quoc Viet and Vu Dinh Hiep (Deputy Director of Viet A) were charged with offering a bribe of 27 billion VND (nearly 1.2 million USD at the current exchange rate), and Pham Duy Tuyen (Director of the CDC of Hai Duong province) receiving the bribe.

Police are expanding the investigation into this case, according to Lt. Gen. To An Xo.

Source: VNA

PM orders expediting investigation into Viet A case

The PM has asked the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with other relevant agencies and localities to speed up and expand the investigation into the price gouging of Covid-19 test kits at the Viet A Technology Corporation.