Mr. Le Duc Tho at the time of his arrest, December 2023. Photo: Ministry of Public Security
On August 27th, the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Security Agency concluded the investigation of a case involving Violation of regulations on the management and use of State assets, Bribery, Abuse of power, and Taking advantage of one’s position to influence others for personal gain. The case occurred at the Commercial Transportation and Tourism Company, Vietravel Oil, and several other agencies.
Mr. Le Duc Tho, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) and former Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee, has been charged with Abuse of power and Taking advantage of one’s position to influence others for personal gain, and Receiving bribes.
Mr. Tho was arrested and detained in December 2023 while serving as Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee.
According to the investigation, in 2018, Mr. Le Duc Tho was the General Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietinbank, with the authority to approve credit limits, grant credit limits, and consider and approve loan applications for enterprises.
The investigation agency accused Mr. Tho of abusing his position and receiving bribes from 2019 to 2021.
Specifically, in the case of Vietravel Oil’s loan application and credit limit request at Vietinbank, from 2019 to January 2020, Mr. Tho received bribes twice, totaling 600,000 USD (equivalent to 13.8 billion VND) from Ms. Mai Thi Hong Hanh.
Mr. Tho was also accused of using his position as Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietinbank to influence the Director of Vietinbank’s Ben Tre branch to facilitate Vietravel Oil’s loan application. The company received a credit limit of 400 billion VND, preferential interest rates, and a loan collateral ratio of 40%.
According to the conclusion, Mr. Tho repeatedly received money and valuable assets from Ms. Mai Thi Hong Hanh, including 200,000 USD (4.5 billion VND), a set of golf clubs (worth 1.1 billion VND), a Patek Philippe watch (worth 421,000 USD or 9.855 billion VND), and a Mercedes Benz S450 car (worth 6.669 billion VND).
Mr. Tho’s actions in receiving these assets are being prosecuted under the charge of Taking advantage of one’s position to influence others for personal gain.
Previously, on December 14, 2023, Lieutenant General To AnXo, then spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security, announced that Mr. Le Duc Tho had been arrested and detained by the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Security Agency to investigate the offense of Taking advantage of one’s position to influence others for personal gain, according to Article 358 of the Penal Code.
This action was taken during the expansion of the investigation into a case involving Violation of regulations on the management and use of State assets, Negligence causing serious consequences, Bribery, and Receiving bribes at the Commercial Transportation and Tourism Company, Vietravel Oil, and several related agencies.
Mr. Le Duc Tho, 53 years old, holds a doctorate in economic management. He has held positions as Deputy General Director, General Director, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietinbank, as well as Chief of Office at the State Bank of Vietnam. He served as Secretary of the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee from July 2021.
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