Defendant Nguyễn Đức Chung, former chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, testifies at the trial. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People’s Court on Friday afternoon returned verdicts for seven defendants in the case of illegal interference in bidding activities, enabling Nhật Cường Company to win contracts.

Nguyễn Đức Chung, former chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, received three years imprisonment for “abusing position and power while performing duties”, and earlier was sentenced to five years imprisonment for “appropriating secret State files”, thus he was condemned to a total of eight years.

According to the indictment, Chung abused his position and power to illegally interfere in bidding activities for a deal on the digitisation of business registration documents in 2016 at the city’s Department of Planning and Investment.

Later, he asked the department to allow Nhật Cường Company to pilot digitalisation of the bidding package for the personal purpose of making the company win the bid and enjoy the benefits, causing losses of over VNĐ26.5 billion (US$1.16 million) to the State budget.

Chung’s activities were defined as violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences, in accordance with Article 89 of the Law on Bidding.

Other defendants in the case were prosecuted for violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

They are Bùi Quang Huy, general director of Nhật Cường Company -- who held the highest role in the case, planned and worked with Chung to illegally act on the bidding; Nguyễn Văn Tứ, Phạm Thị Kim Tuyến, Phạm Thị Thu Hường and Nguyễn Tiến Học, all officials of the Hà Nội Department of Planning and Investment; and business director of the Đông Kinh Development and Investment Co. Lê Duy Tuấn.

Tứ, director of the Hà Nội Department of Planning and Investment and Học, department deputy director caused losses of more than VNĐ18 billion.

Tuyến, head of the Trading Register Division, and Hường, chief of the secretariat of the department, were responsible throughout the entire bidding process for both 2016 and 2017, but advised and drafted proposals to illegally stop the bidding.

The trial said the consequences of actions by Tuyến and Hường were more serious than those of Tứ and Học.

Tứ and Học handed back VNĐ1.8 billion and VNĐ100 million respectively to have their sentences partially reduced.

Except for Chung, the remaining defendants must give back money ranging from VNĐ2 billion to more than VNĐ4 billion. — VNS