Twenty-eight officials and employees at institutions affiliated with four Vietnamese ministries and agencies have been prosecuted for allegedly manipulating monitoring results and improperly collecting samples to issue certificates.
On the morning of October 1, the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Police Department for Drug-related Crimes (C04) said it and the Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Police Department (C05) had initiated three criminal cases and prosecuted 28 defendants for “forgery in the performance of duties” under Clause 2, Article 359 of the Penal Code.
The alleged violations occurred at institutions affiliated with four ministries and agencies.
Investigators analyze samples. Photo: C04
At the Institute of Energy Science, Technology and Environment under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, those prosecuted include one director and one former director of a center in HCMC; one deputy director of a center in Da Nang; and two department heads, two deputy department heads and one employee in Hanoi.
At the Vietnam National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, police prosecuted one director and one deputy director of the Occupational Environment Monitoring and Analysis Station; one department head and one deputy department head in Hanoi; and one head, one deputy head, one department head and one deputy department head at the institute’s branch in the central region.
At the Center for Environment and Cleaner Production under the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, those prosecuted include the center’s director and deputy director, one department head and two deputy department heads.
Một số mẫu vật tại trung tâm. Ảnh: C04
At the Center for Environmental Engineering and Chemical Safety under the Vietnam Institute of Industrial Chemistry, Vietnam National Chemical Group and the Ministry of Finance, police prosecuted one center director, two deputy directors, one department head, two deputy department heads and one employee.
According to preliminary investigation results, the defendants allegedly altered monitoring analysis data from “failed” to “passed,” collected samples without following required procedures and “sold certificates for money” to organizations requesting monitoring services.
Investigators said the alleged practices had continued for a long period.
Photo: C04
In addition to prosecuting the 28 defendants for “forgery in the performance of duties,” C04 said investigators had identified signs of other possible offenses, including embezzlement, abuse of position and power to appropriate property, illegal trading of invoices and tax evasion.
C04 is continuing to examine documents and evidence obtained through forensic assessments, data extraction and data recovery to clarify the case and expand the investigation.
Investigators are seeking to identify, apprehend and take action against those suspected of masterminding or leading the alleged wrongdoing, as well as individuals accused of actively assisting in the alleged forgery.
Authorities are also investigating individuals potentially linked to the other suspected offenses identified during the investigation.
The Investigation Police Department for Drug-related Crimes is coordinating with relevant authorities to expand the investigation.
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
