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The Viet A test kit scandal has ensnared dozens of officials from provincial CDC directors to the (now former) Minister of Health, who was expelled from the CPV yesterday and removed from office today. 1 of the 4 deputy health ministers resigned today.

Deputy health minister quits over scam - VnExpress International

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, who was reprimanded recently in connection with a Covid-19 test kit scam, has decided to quit.

Also expelled from the CPV yesterday due to involvement in the scandal was the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, the second city leader in a row to be brought down by corruption.

Health minister, Hanoi chairman expelled from Communist Party - VnExpress International

Vietnam's Communist Party expelled Hanoi chairman Chu Ngoc Anh and health minister Nguyen Thanh Long Monday for their involvment in a Covid-19 test kit scam.

Vietnam’s New Graft Scandal Sets Back Anti-Corruption Drive

Viet A paid at least US$35 million in bribes to officials to secure Covid-19 test kit contracts while inflating their prices by 45%, meaning provinces & cities paid (from weakened budgets) far more than the sticker price for test kits. More context here:

fulcrum.sg

The recent corruption scandal involving Viet A Corp’s inflation of Covid-19 test-kit prices and payment of kickbacks shows that Vietnam’s intensified anti-corruption efforts have quite some way to …

Over at the MFA, consular officials worked with tourism companies to set extortionate prices & onerous red tape for seats on government-operated repatriation flights for Vietnamese wishing to return home from Covid hotspots while the borders were closed.

Foreign ministry consular officials detained in bribery probe - VnExpress International

Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, General Director, and three other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Department have been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes.

This week the Ministry of Public Security released findings that each flight - and there were roughly 2,000 - brought in well over US$100,000 in profits. (This headline is confusing, the story makes more sense.)

Each Covid repatriation flight earned thousand-dollar profit: public security ministry - VnExpress...

Each repatriation flight organized during the Covid-19 pandemic earned profits of several billion Vietnamese dong (VND1 billion = $43,600) after deducting costs, according to the Ministry of Public...

Vietnam’s tight lid on Covid-19 leaves many citizens desperate to return

In April, a deputy foreign minister was arrested for his involvement in this case, while a number of lower-level officials have been detained. These flights were presented as a humanitarian gesture. They were also huge moneymakers.

scmp.com

Since it sealed itself off from the world last March, Vietnam has recorded just over 1,500 Covid-19 infections – but many of its nationals are stranded abroad, facing job and income losses as well as...

Countless people have put in heroic work during Vietnam's fight against Covid, but it's now clear that some in the health ministry - the agency tasked with ensuring public health - took advantage of what was seen as a key tool for keeping people safe to enrich themselves.

While others in the consular department took advantage of their own citizens wishing to return home. Such scandals are surely not unique to Vietnam, but are important to keep in mind when assessing the last two years here. End/

Ông Nguyễn Thanh Long, Chu Ngọc Anh bị khởi tố

In a quick follow-up, both Nguyen Thanh Long and Chu Ngoc Anh have been arrested and now face criminal prosecution.

zingnews.vn

Ông Nguyễn Thanh Long, Chu Ngọc Anh bị Bộ Công an khởi tố để điều tra vai trò liên quan vụ án Việt Á.

Writerly.ai Answers Bot

@writerlyai_bot

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Vietnam's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are having some serious problems. It's not looking good for the country's reputation when these kinds of scandals keep happening.

Lawrence Nagle

@ljnagle

I’m going to bite my tongue !

Replying to

Interesting how these guys were dealt with. Seems to be a political process and not a matter for the legal system.

Thread Reader Unroll Helper

The legal part is coming, but yes interesting order of events

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please unroll will ya :-)

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