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A view of the first-instance trial of the case of “repatriation flights” |
According to the procuracy’s indictment, 21 of the 54 defendants were prosecuted for “taking bribes”. The investigation, prosecution, and open interrogation at the trial found that they had received money from representatives of businesses to propose, submit, and approve the distribution of documents to licence repatriation flights bringing home Vietnamese citizens from abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The procuracy's representative affirmed that the defendants’ reception of money in this case was an act of taking bribes.
Among those prosecuted for “taking bribes”, Pham Trung Kien, former secretary of a deputy minister of health, committed a particularly serious act. He abused the position and power he had been assigned with to cause troubles for representatives of the businesses engaging in the repatriation flights so that the companies had to give money at his request.
The procuracy's representative proposed the jury impose a death penalty on Kien as he had gained the biggest sum of money, over VND42.6 billion (US$1.8 million).
For the remaining 20 defendants charged with “taking bribes”, they were proposed to receive prison sentences of between 2-20 years. They include To Anh Dung (former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs), Nguyen Thi Huong Lan (former Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Vu Anh Tuan (former officer of the Immigration Department at the Ministry of Public Security), Do Hoang Tung (former Deputy Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Tran Van Du (former Deputy Director of the Immigration Department at the Ministry of Public Security).
For 23 defendants accused of “giving bribes”, including representatives of many businesses, the procuracy proposed sentences ranging from 12 months of probation to 12 years in prison.
It proposed four defendants be prosecuted for “abusing positions and power while performing duties” and given prison terms of between 2 - 6 years.
Four defendants were prosecuted for “brokering bribery” and were proposed to be given prison sentences of between 2 - 7 years, and two others for “swindling to appropriate assets” and penalties of 15 - 20 years behind bars.
The procuracy said that this is a particularly serious and complicated case. The defendants had taken advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to commit the crimes, which had occurred at many different ministries, sectors, and localities. Most of the charges were classified as “particularly serious” and “particularly dangerous for society”.
The defendants taking bribes were those holding high positions and power in state agencies. After committing the crime, there were signs of collusion with one another to conceal their crimes. Some defendants did not make sincere statements or admit their crimes.
The indictment read that under the Party and State’s policy, state agencies’ arrangement of more than 1,000 flights to repatriate over 200,000 Vietnamese citizens from 62 countries and territories was a demonstration of the State’s humanitarian policy. The purpose of the flights was good, but this policy was stained by some degenerate officials, eroding its reputation in the eyes of the people and the international community.
