Nguyễn Đức Chung (in the middle of two police officers) at a court hearing in late 2020. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Supreme People’s Procuracy has announced an indictment against Nguyễn Đức Chung, former chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee for his involvement in a bidding violation at the city's Department of Planning and Investment.

Chung has been indicted for abusing power and position while on duty.

Other defendants indicted are Nguyễn Văn Tứ, former chief of office of Hà Nội Party Committee and former director of Hà Nội Department of Planning and Investment; Nguyễn Tiến Học, former director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment; Phạm Thị Kim Tuyến, former head of a division under the Department of Planning and Investment; and Phạm Thị Thu Hường, former chief of office of the Department of Planning and Investment.

Võ Việt Hùng, director of Đông Kinh Investment and Development Ltd Company, and Lê Duy Tuấn, sales director of the company, were indicted for bidding violations causing serious consequences.

The indictment says this is a case involving all defendants who directly committed the crimes, so they have equal roles.

Among defendants of the Nhật Cường – Đông Kinh joint venture, Bùi Quang Huy, general director of Nhật Cường Company, was the mastermind behind the crime, so he played a key role in the case.

Because Huy is on the run, the investigating agency has issued a wanted notice and decided to temporarily suspend the investigation against Huy.

According to the indictment, in 2016, the city's Department of Planning and Investment launched a bidding package on digitalising business registration documents.

Nguyễn Đức Chung, then city chairman, abused his power to order the Department of Planning and Investment to suspend the bidding and was involved in the bidding process without legal authority.

Chung asked the department to allow Nhật Cường Company to pilot the digitalisation project with a personal motivation to create conditions for Nhật Cường to participate in the bidding, win the bid and enjoy the profits.

Illegal acts committed by Chung and officers of the planning and investment department in the bidding process reduced the effectiveness of the bidding package and caused more than VNĐ26.5 billion in damage to State properties.

Minh Hoa Company owned by Nguyễn Thị Trúc Chi Hoa - Chung’s wife - signed a fake contract with Nhật Cường Company to create conditions for the Nhật Cường – Đông Kinh joint venture to legalise bidding dossiers.

In 2019, the Ministry of Public Security started legal proceedings against Nhật Cường general director Bùi Quang Huy for smuggling and violating regulations on accounting and bidding, causing serious consequences.

In December 2020, Nguyễn Đức Chung was sentenced to five years in prison for appropriating State secret documents related to the case at Nhật Cường Company. — VNS