Investments

Former Secretary and Chairman of Bac Ninh Province Indicted for Taking Bribes Worth Billions of Dong from AIC Company

After nearly a month of investigations, the Supreme People's Procuracy has charged Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien, former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Bac Ninh, and Mr. Nguyen Tu Quynh, former Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with two other accomplices, with the crime of "Taking Bribes."

Administrator

14 September, 2024

113

Causing a loss of 48 billion VND in state budget

On September 13, the Supreme People’s Procuracy of Vietnam issued an indictment charging Mr. Nguyen Nhan Chien (former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Bac Ninh); Mr. Nguyen Tu Quynh (former Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee); Ms. Nguyen Hanh Chung (former Provincial Executive Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council); and Mr. Tran Van Tuynh (former Director of the Management Board of Construction Projects of the Provincial Health Department) with “taking bribes”, according to points a and b, Article 354 of the 2015 Penal Code.

Along with this group of former senior leaders of Bac Ninh province, Mr. Nguyen Van Nhuong (former Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee) was indicted for “Abusing position and power while performing official duties.”

Meanwhile, the defendant, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan (Chairwoman of AIC Company – currently a fugitive), was charged with “Giving bribes.”

The remaining seven defendants, including Mr. Nguyen Hong Son (Vice Director of AIC Company – currently a fugitive); Mr. La Tuan Hung (General Director of Song Hong Company); Mr. Nguyen Dang An (former Head of the Planning Department of the Management Board); Mr. Nguyen Kim Huan (former Deputy Head of the Planning Department of the Management Board); Mr. Nguyen Viet Toan and Mr. Nguyen Dang Linh (both former employees of AIC Company); and Mr. Dang Xuan Minh (Chairman of the Valuation Company BTC VALCE) were accused of “Violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences.”

Defendants Nguyen Nhan Chien, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, and Nguyen Tu Quynh.

According to the indictment, during the implementation of six equipment procurement packages at six investment projects to build general hospitals in districts in Bac Ninh province through open bidding, the defendants from Song Hong Company and AIC Company colluded with the group of defendants who were former leaders of Bac Ninh to rig the bidding process, allowing the two enterprises to win the contracts, causing a loss of more than 48 billion VND to the state budget.

Taking bribes of billions of VND, including tens of billions on holidays

Specifically, the defendant Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, taking advantage of her previous relationships with the leaders of Bac Ninh province, proposed and received agreement from Nguyen Nhan Chien, Nguyen Tu Quynh, Nguyen Hanh Chung, Nguyen Tien Nhuong, and Tran Van Tuynh to divide the implementation of the packages, creating favorable conditions for AIC Company and Mopha Company (owned by Nhan) to participate in the bidding and win three equipment procurement packages at three district hospital projects in Gia Binh, Thuan Thanh, and Luong Tai, with a total contract value of more than 126 billion VND.

Nhan instructed Nguyen Hong Son (Deputy General Director of AIC) to coordinate with the defendant Tran Van Tuynh and the staff of the Project Management Board, the valuation company, to legitimize the estimated cost and bidding documents, and arrange “green-zone” companies to participate in the bidding so that AIC Company and Mopha Company could win the contracts, causing a loss of 25.8 billion VND.

After making illegal profits from these packages, Nhan bribed the former Secretary, Nguyen Nhan Chien, with 3 billion VND; gave the former Chairman, Nguyen Tu Quynh, 1 billion VND; instructed her subordinates to give Nguyen Hanh Chung 100 million VND and Nguyen Van Nhuong 450 million VND.

Notably, on holidays and Tet occasions, Nhan also gave Nguyen Nhan Chien 10 billion VND and Nguyen Tu Quynh 8.1 billion VND several times.

“Currently, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan is at large, and her testimony has not been obtained. However, based on the testimonies of the defendants and related individuals, along with other documentary evidence, there is sufficient basis to identify Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan as the mastermind and leader, bearing primary responsibility for the violations of AIC Company and the companies in AIC’s ecosystem in the three equipment procurement packages,” the indictment stated.

Regarding the defendant Nguyen Nhan Chien, the prosecution stated that he was the head of the People’s Committee of Bac Ninh province at the time of the crime. Along with Nguyen Tu Quynh, who was then Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee in charge of culture and society, Nguyen Hanh Chung, and Tran Van Tuynh, he took advantage of his position and power to agree on dividing and creating favorable conditions for AIC Company and companies in AIC’s ecosystem, owned by Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, as well as the group of companies of La Tuan Hung, to rig the bidding and win the six equipment procurement packages at the six hospitals, which was against the law.

The wrongdoing of this group caused a loss of more than 48 billion VND to the state budget.

As for Nguyen Van Nhuong, former Vice Chairman of Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, he had a close relationship with Tran Van Tuynh and Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, so he agreed with Nguyen Tu Quynh, following the direction of Nguyen Nhan Chien, to create favorable conditions for the group of companies of La Tuan Hung and AIC Company of Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan to win the contracts.

Nhuong also signed documents approving the plans for selecting contractors and the final settlement of the packages, violating Article 89 of the 2013 Bidding Law and its guiding documents, causing damage to the state.

Hoang An