At the trial of defendants in the case of “repatriation flights.” (Photo: VNA) The highest sentence - life imprisonment – was imposedon three defendants for the charge of “taking bribes”, comprising Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, former Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;Pham Trung Kien, former secretary of a deputy minister of health; and Vu AnhTuan, former officer of the Immigration Department at the Ministry of PublicSecurity. Hoang Van Hung, former head of the investigation division of theInvestment Security Department at the Ministry of Public Security, also got a life sentence for the charge of "fraudulent appropriation of assets”.
Sharing the same charge of “taking bribes,” To Anh Dung, formerDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was sentences to 16 years in jail; Do HoangTung, former Deputy Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, 12 years; Nguyen Quang Linh, former assistant to a DeputyPrime Minister; and Tran Van Du, former Deputy Director of the ImmigrationDepartment at the Ministry of Public Security, each seven years; Tran Van Tan, former Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province; and NguyenThanh Hai, former Director of the International Relations Department of theGovernment Office, each six years; and Chu Xuan Dung, former Vice Chairman ofthe Hanoi People's Committee, three years.
The defendants charged with “giving bribes”, includedrepresentatives of many businesses, received prison terms ranging from 7 to11 years.
The court also handed down a five-year sentence to formerDeputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Public Security Nguyen Anh Tuan for “brokeringbribery.”
According to the first-instance judgment, amid the COVID-19outbreak, the Government ordered organizing repatriation flights for overseasVietnamese. Specific tasks were assigned to the Government Office, the Ministryof Foreign Affairs, and other relevant ministries, and some municipal andprovincial People’s Committees.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy said that this was aparticularly serious and complicated case. The defendants had taken advantageof the COVID-19 pandemic to commit the crimes, which had occurred at manydifferent ministries, sectors, and localities. Most of the charges wereclassified as “particularly serious” and “particularly dangerous for society”.
The defendants taking bribes were those holding highpositions and power in state agencies. After committing the crime, there weresigns of collusion with one another to conceal their crimes. Some defendantsdid not make sincere statements or admit their crimes.
The indictment read that under the Party and State’spolicy, the arrangement of more than 1,000 flights to repatriateover 200,000 Vietnamese citizens from 62 countries and territories was ademonstration of the State’s humanitarian policy. The purpose of the flightswas good, but this policy was stained by degenerate officials, eroding itsreputation in the eyes of the people and the international community./.
VNA
