Việt Nam organised nearly 800 repatriation flights to bring home more than 200,000 citizens from more than 60 countries and territories. More than 20 people have been detained for giving and receiving bribes related to repatriation flights. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn was among officials that were considered for disciplinary actions for loose leadership and management that led to “very serious consequences” during a meeting held by the Politburo yesterday.

During the meeting of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, several officials were considered for disciplinary measures for their wrongdoings.

They included Bùi Thanh Sơn, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretariat and Minister of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA); Vũ Hồng Nam, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan; Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn, director of Thái Nguyên’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Nguyễn Ngô Quyết, former director of Thái Nguyên’s Department of Industry and Trade; and Nguyễn Ngọc Sự, former Chairman of the Members' Council of the Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

The meeting concluded that the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016-2021 term) violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, showed a lack of responsibility and supervision, and loose leadership and direction, which led to many officials and Party members violate the Party's regulations and the State's laws in advising and organising the repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some officials and Party members showed degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, received bribes and violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws while performing duties.

The violations and wrongdoings of the Party Committee of the MOFA (2016-2021 term) caused serious consequences. They fuelled public anger as well as distorted guidelines and policies of the Party and State while weakening the prestige of the party organisation and the foreign affairs sector.

Foreign Minister Sơn is jointly responsible for the violations and wrongdoings of the Party Committee of the MOFA (2016-2021 term).

The meeting also concluded that Vũ Hồng Nam showed degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, received bribes and violated the principle of democratic centralism, among others.

His violations “caused very serious consequences and fuelled the public anger” and undermined the prestige of the party organisation and the foreign affairs sector.

Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn and Nguyễn Ngô Quyết violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws while performing duties and showed degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle. Their violations caused “very serious consequences” and likely caused a “major loss” of money and property of the State.

Nguyễn Ngọc Sự violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, among others. His violations caused “very serious consequences” that are difficult to recover, “fuelled the public anger”, eroded the reputation of the Party organisation and adversely affected the Corporation's production and business activities.

Vũ Hồng Nam, Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn, Nguyễn Ngô Quyết and Nguyễn Ngọc Sự were expelled from the Party.

In the case of giving and receiving bribes related to repatriation flights, as of early December, the Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency detained more than 20 people, many of whom are officials of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Transport, the Government Office, and the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration department.

According to the investigations, many officials illegally colluded with businesses to reap hundreds of thousands of US dollars, taking advantage of the flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from abroad due to the pandemic.

After the pandemic broke out, Việt Nam organised nearly 800 repatriation flights to bring home more than 200,000 citizens from more than 60 countries and territories.

When the flights were deployed, many people complained they had to buy costly tickets and go through cumbersome procedures. VNS