Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Sơn, former Commander of the Việt Nam Coast Guard. —VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Five former generals and two officers of the Việt Nam Coast Guard were detained on Monday for their alleged involvement in a serious embezzlement case taking place at this unit, the Criminal Investigation Office of the Ministry of National Defence announced.

They are Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Sơn, former Commander of the coast guard; Lieutenant General Hoàng Văn Đồng, former Political Commissar of the coast guard; Lieutenant General Doãn Bảo Quyết, former deputy Political Commissar of the coast guard; Lieutenant General Phạm Kim Hậu, former deputy Commander of the coast guard; and Lieutenant General Bùi Trung Dũng, former deputy Commander of the coast guard.

Sơn and Đồng were previously banned from leaving their homes during the investigation into their embezzlement charge.

The decisions on the legal proceedings were approved by the Central Military Procuracy.

The two officers consist of Colonel Nguyễn Văn Hưng, former deputy commander of the coast guard and Colonel Bùi Văn Hòe, former deputy head of the coast guard's Finance Department.

Previously, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee on October 1, 2021 looked into disciplinary measures against the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the Việt Nam Coast Guard in the 2015-20 tenure and a number of individuals for their violations.

The meeting was chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

The Secretariat said the Standing Board of the VCG Party Committee in the 2015-20 tenure had seriously violated the principles of democratic centralism, and criticism and self-criticism, working rules, and regulations set by the Central Military Commission.

As a result, many officials and Party members, including the Secretary and Vice Secretary of the Party Committee, the Commander and Deputy Commander, have displayed degradation in political thought, morality and lifestyle, causing extremely severe consequences.

They have shown a lack of responsibility and supervision and loose leadership and direction, creating conditions for the High Command and its units to violate the Party’s regulations, the State’s laws, and the defence ministry’s regulations on financial management and use, the implementation of infrastructure projects, the procurement of technical equipment, materials and goods, and the fight against smuggling, causing serious consequences. 

According to the Secretariat, such wrongdoings by a number of high-ranking officers have led to huge economic losses to the State, while seriously affecting the prestige of the Party organisation as well as the image of the coast guard and the Việt Nam People’s Army, triggering public concern.

In late October, all of these officials were stripped of their positions under a decision from the Prime Minister.

The Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Việt Nam noted that this is a "very serious case" that draws public attention, and asked judicial agencies of the military to continue expanding the investigation to look into the wrongdoings of all related individuals and organisations, to ensure the law is upheld. — VNS