Hanoi (VNA) - The Hanoi People’s Court will begin on August 18 a trial of former Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan and 27 co-defendants in a case involving alleged bribery, bribery brokerage and serious accounting violations.
Hoan, 59, and Le Thanh Ha, 48, former head of the Vietnam Labour Management Board at the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea, along with seven other defendants from the Department of Overseas Labour Management, will be tried on the charge of receiving bribes under Article 354 of the Criminal Code.
Nguyen Lam Son, 44, Director of the Thanh Do Law Co., will be tried on the charge of bribery brokerage under Article 365 of the Criminal Code.
Nghiem Quoc Hung, 56, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Hoang Long company, and 12 subordinates have been charged with “violating accounting regulations, causing serious consequences” under Article 221 of the Criminal Code.
Nghiem Van Dinh, 48, Director of Incoop 3, and four others from Sona Co. have also faced the same accounting charge.
Of the 28 defendants, 13 are in custody and 15 were released on bail.
More than 50 lawyers have registered to defend the 28 defendants. The court will summon representatives of four companies and more than 50 individuals as those with related rights and obligations.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy indictment said that from 2021 through May 2025, Hoan, then deputy minister in charge of the Department of Overseas Labour Management, allowed former Director General Tong Hai Nam to direct officials to create difficulties for companies during appraisal of license applications to send Vietnamese workers abroad.
The defendants allegedly forced companies to pay 100-400 million VND (3,800 – 15,300 USD) per license under a set rate.
During the approval of responses to registration applications for overseas labour supply contracts, Hoan agreed to let Nam direct an unlawful appraisal process, blocking businesses from independently providing required documents. Companies were allegedly forced to pay about 500 USD per worker to receive favourable treatment and approval.
Through the scheme, Hoan, Nam and several department officials allegedly received more than 30.2 billion VND in bribes from individuals tied to 31 companies.
Hoan signed 14 licenses and agreed to the unlawful appraisal process for E-7 visa labour supply dossiers. He allegedly forced companies to make payments and provide gifts on holidays and Lunar New Year, receiving total bribes of more than 16 billion VND./.
