Việt Á Company's test kits. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) has decided to investigate and arrest Nguyễn Văn Trịnh, assistant to a Deputy Prime Minister, for "abuse of power and position while on duty" under Clause 3, Article 356 of the Penal Code. 

Tô Ân Xô, chief of the Office and spokesman of the ministry, said on Wednesday that Trịnh had abused his position to ask agencies and individuals at the Ministry of Health to help Việt Á Company's test kits obtain a registration number for market circulation against the law.

This helped Việt Á sell test kits at agencies and in localities across the country, causing especially serious damage to the State assets, he added.

This is the latest development in the expansion of the investigation into the violations of bidding regulations that caused serious consequences, offering and receiving bribes, and abuse of power while on duty relating to Việt Á company.

So far, the investigation police agencies at all levels have placed more than 90 individuals involved in the case under investigation, including many officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology, and dozens of leaders and officials at the centres for disease control and health departments in many provinces and cities.

Among those are Nguyễn Thanh Long, former minister of Health and Chu Ngoc Anh, former minister of Science and Technology. — VNS