Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked relevant agencies to focus on investigating, prosecuting and putting on trial 11 major complicated corruption cases.

Chairing the 13 th session of the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control (CSCCPC) in Hanoi on July 8, PM Dung said that despite good results achieved over the past time, there are still shortcomings and weaknesses in the committee’s work, including the slow settlement of major complicated cases.

To overcome the situation, the PM asked for a strengthened coordination among agencies taking proceedings, adding that inspection and auditing work should focus on such areas as land management and use, public investment, corporate financial management, tax and customs.

In the first six months of 2010, the anti-corruption work continued to see positive developments. By June 20, 31 ministries and central agencies as well as 57 provinces and cities delivered their 2009 income reports.

Judicial agencies detected and took initial proceedings against 81 cases with 159 offenders, prosecuted 122 cases with 315 internees and put on trial 100 cases with 216 defendants on corruption-related crimes.

The detection and settlement of corruption cases have been continuously strengthened with 11 serious and complicated cases being strictly handled on right people and right crimes, including the case of Huynh Ngoc Sy, former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport and Manager of the East-West Highway project, who was accused of abusing power in carrying out missions.

Investigations concluded on the case of Doan Tien Dung, former Deputy General Director of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and Le Thi Thanh Binh, Director of BIDV branch in Hai Phong city, who were in charge of taking bribes.

The CSCCPC is speeding up the settlement of 13 other serious and complicated cases, including a power abusing case at the Vietnam Air Petrol Company, a public property embezzlement at the Thi Vai LPG Port and Storage and the Vietinbank Securities Company’s illegal trading of 3 million shares of the Pha Lai Thermoelectricity Power Joint Stock Company.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong asked the CSCCPC to thoroughly address the case of the Vietinbank Securities Company by the end of this year.

Regarding the role and function of press agencies in the fight against corruption, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Do Quy Doan emphasised the need to continue raising journalists’ responsibilities in giving information on corruption prevention.

He asked authorised agencies to actively provide timely and accurate information for the media, helping limit wrong information in public opinion./.