3-1-2024 (HANOI) Former Vietnamese health minister, Nguyen Thanh Long, along with 37 others, faced trial in Hanoi on Wednesday (Jan 3) for their alleged involvement in the production and distribution of overpriced COVID-19 test kits, marking the Viet A scandal. The scandal, named after the semi-private company Viet A, reportedly involved senior officials facilitating million-dollar deals for testing equipment at inflated prices.
Images released by state media depicted the defendants, all wearing masks, being escorted to the court building in Hanoi by uniformed police. Former health minister Nguyen Thanh Long stands accused of accepting bribes totaling US$2.25 million, while former Hanoi mayor Chu Ngoc Anh faces charges of “violating regulations on the management of state assets.”
The scandal has led to the arrest of at least 100 officials and businesspeople nationwide. Viet A is estimated to have gained around US$172 million from the scam, with US$34 million allegedly used to bribe officials. According to state media, Viet A claimed to have produced 8.7 million test kits during the pandemic, with the majority distributed to medical facilities across Vietnam.
In a previous military court session in Hanoi, company CEO Phan Quoc Viet was sentenced to 25 years in prison for abuse of power and violating bidding regulations. He faces further accusations during the ongoing three-week trial.
While Vietnam initially gained international recognition for its effective COVID-19 measures, instances of corruption have emerged. Officials were found to be taking money from companies involved in repatriation flights and community testing. Last year, three officials received life sentences, and numerous others faced lengthy jail terms for bribery and corruption related to repatriation flights.
In 2022, Vietnam’s National Assembly removed Deputy Prime Ministers Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam from their positions. Minh, who was the foreign affairs minister leading repatriation flights, and Dam, in charge of the domestic COVID-19 response, faced consequences in a purge led by Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc also stepped down, taking “political responsibility” for various officials’ shortcomings, as stated by a party central committee statement at the time.
