Two ringleaders in fake cancer drug case jailed for total 37 years

HCM City (VNA) – Two ringleaders in a fake cancer drug trading case at the Vietnam Pharma JSC (VN Pharma) were sentenced to 17 years and 20 years in prison on October 1 at the first-instance trial at the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court after five days of hearing.

Specifically, Nguyen Minh Hung, former Chairman and General Director of VN Pharma, was given 17 years and Vo Manh Cuong, former Director of H&C International Maritime Trading Co., Ltd,  20 years for “trading in fake goods being curative drugs” in accordance with Article 157 of the 1999 Penal Code.

Eight other defendants got jail terms ranging from 3 years to 12 years also on the same charge.

Another defendant, Ngo Anh Quoc, former Deputy Director General of VN Pharma was imprisoned for 11 years for “trading in fake goods being curative drugs.” He was earlier sentenced to five years in prison by the Hanoi People’s Court for giving bribes, bringing the total prison term for him to 16 years.

An employee of VN Pharma, Hoang Truc Vy was given a three-year suspended term with a probation period of five years.

The defendants are also banned from working in pharmaceuticals-related fields for five years after completing their prison terms.

According to the investigation, from 2013 to 2014, Hung, along with Cuong and the 10 other accomplices, forged documents to import 9,300 boxes of fake H-Capita drug, at total costs of over 6 billion VND including import tax.

The batch of the drug was found to be fake.

On September 18, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to start legal proceedings on the “lacking responsibility, causing serious consequences” case happening at the Department of Medicine Management under the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies during the process of verifying, approving and issuing licences for the import of the batch of the fake H-Capita drug./.