Twelve charged in bribery and bidding scandal at agriculture ministry

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Defendant Hoàng Văn Thắng, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (left), alongside defendants Trần Tố Nghị and Trần Văn Lăng (below, right). — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Public Security has launched a criminal case involving allegations of receiving bribes and violations of bidding regulations causing millions of dollars worth of losses, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Hoàng Dân Company, and other entities.

Twelve individuals have been charged.

The Economic, Corruption, and Smuggling Crime Investigation Police Department (C03) found that former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoàng Văn Thắng and former Acting Director of the Department of Construction Management Trần Tố Nghị had allegedly accepted payments from Hoàng Dân Company and its contractors.

This led to collusion within MARD, manipulating bidding processes to favour these companies.

Consequently, delayed projects required multiple investment adjustments, causing estimated losses of over VNĐ234 billion (US$9.2 million) to the State budget.

The implicated projects include the Bản Mồng Reservoir Project, Nghệ An Province, overseen by Management Unit No. 4, and  the Bản Lải Reservoir Project, Lạng Sơn Province, managed by Management Unit No. 2;

Along with the Krông Pách Thượng Reservoir Project, Đắk Lắk Province, under Management Unit No. 8 and the Cánh Tạng Reservoir Project, Hòa Bình Province, managed by Management Unit No. 1.

On January 2, the Ministry of Public Security filed charges against 12 individuals.

Three individuals have been charged with receiving bribes, including Hoàng Văn Thắng, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Trần Tố Nghị, former Acting Director of the Department of Construction Management and Trần Văn Lăng, former Director of Management Unit No. 2.

Nine individuals have been charged with violations of bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

They are: Nguyễn Đắc Điệp, Deputy General Director of Sông Đà 5 JSC; Trần Văn Nhì, Head of Planning and Appraisal, Management Unit No. 8; Phạm Đông Phương, former Deputy Director, Management Unit No. 2;  Nguyễn Văn Dân, Director of Hoàng Dân Company; Vũ Đình Thịnh, Deputy Director of Hoàng Dân Company; Tạ Văn Thuyết, Director of Management Unit No. 1; Nguyễn Văn Thuật, Head of Planning and Appraisal, Management Unit No. 1; Lê Văn Hiến, former Director of Management Unit No. 8; and Mai Quang Vượng, former Deputy Director of Management Unit No. 8.

Investigations are ongoing to identify further violations by officials at MARD, its subsidiaries, the Hoàng Dân Company, and associated contractors. Authorities are also working to recover misappropriated State assets. — VNS