Four Consular Department officials suspended for bribery investigation

Many repatriation flights conducted during COVID-19 pandemic (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on January 29 that it had issued a decision to suspend work of four officials of its Consular Department to serve the investigation into a case of taking bribes while licensing the firms that conducted repatriation flights for Vietnamese people.

Determining that this is an act of seeking profits illegally, with the spirit of no forbidden zones, no exceptions and no tolerance, the ministry will closely coordinate with related agencies to clarify the case.

Earlier, the Investigation Security Agency under the Ministry of Public Security prosecuted and detained the four individuals for the charge of “taking bribes” under Article 354 of the Penal Code. Decisions on the search of their workplace and residence were also made.

The four are Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, born in 1974, head of the Consular Department; Do Hoang Tung, born in 1980, deputy head of the department; Le Tuan Anh, born in 1982, chief of the department’s office; and Luu Tuan Dung, born in 1987, deputy head of the citizen protection desk at the department.

The investigation into the case is being expanded to bring to light all those involved./.

VNA