Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Court of Hanoi on April 7 meted out sentences to former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang and 22 other defendants involved in bribery and violations of bidding and accounting regulations that caused serious consequences.
The court sentenced former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang to four years in prison for "receiving bribes" under Article 354 of the Penal Code.
Four other defendants from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD, now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) also faced imprisonment penalties.
Among them, Tran Van Lang (former Director of Board No. 2) was sentenced to 13 years in prison, Tran To Nghi (former Acting Director of the Construction Project Management Department) six years, Nguyen Hai Thanh (former Deputy Director of the Construction Project Management Department, also Director of Board No. 4 – a fugitive defendant, tried in absentia) five years, and Le Van Hien (former Director of Board No. 8) three years and six months, all for the offence of "receiving bribes".
Nguyen Van Dan (Director of the Hoang Dan Company) was imprisoned for two years for "giving bribes" under Article 364 of the Penal Code, nine years for "violating bidding regulations that caused serious consequences" under Article 222, and three years for "violating accounting regulations that caused serious consequences" under Article 221. The combined sentence for all three offences is 14 years behind bars.
The remaining defendants were sentenced to terms ranging from suspended 30 months’ imprisonment to seven years in prison for "violating bidding regulations that caused serious consequences" and "violating accounting regulations that caused serious consequences".
According to the first-instance trial’s verdict, the case involves multiple large-scale irrigation projects invested by the MARD’s Boards No. 1, 2, 4 and 8. They consist of Packages No. 13 and 17 of the Krong Pach Thuong Reservoir project in Dak Lak province, Package No. 36 of the Ban Mong Reservoir project in Nghe An province, Package No. 21 of the Ban Lai Reservoir project in Lang Son province, and Package No. 17 of the Canh Tang Reservoir project in Hoa Binh province.
During the bidding, winning and implementation of the above-mentioned projects, Nguyen Van Dan, Director of the Hoang Dan Company, exploited relationships with several MARD officials, including Thang and Nghi, to seek introduction and influence over leaders of project management and construction boards. He agreed to pay bribes in exchange for favourable conditions that helped his company and its associated contractors win five bidding packages across the four projects, causing losses of over 250 billion VND (nearly 9.5 million USD at the current exchange rate) to the State.
In addition, during the construction process and business operations, Dan also instructed Bui Cao Nguyen, in charge of finance, and Vu Thi Kim Lien, Chief Accountant, to establish seven subsidiary companies and to create and operate two parallel accounting systems, causing losses of over 99 billion VND to the State.
The verdict stated that the defendants' actions posed a danger to society, infringing upon the fairness and order of state management in bidding and accounting, affecting transparency and accuracy in the operation of these fields, and causing serious damage to state assets. Their actions diminished the credibility of the state apparatus and triggered public anxiety.
Regarding those accepting bribes, the court held that the defendants violated the proper functioning of state agencies, breached regulations on the integrity of officials, and eroded public trust in the Party and the State. Therefore, a punishment commensurate with the nature and severity of the crime is necessary.
The jury considered the severity of the crimes and took into account aggravating and mitigating circumstances of each defendant to differentiate the offences and determine appropriate penalties./.
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development faces up to 5 years in prison
Prosecutors in Hanoi have recommended penalties for 23 defendants in a corruption case linked to Hoang Dan Investment and Construction Co., including a proposed 4–5 year prison sentence for former deputy minister Hoang Van Thang on a bribery charge.
