Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Trần Việt Thái. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Police have launched criminal proceedings against and temporarily detained former Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Trần Việt Thái, on the charge of “abusing position and power while performing duties”.

Nguyễn Hoàng Linh, a former official of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia, also faces the same charge and has been banned from leaving his home, Lt. Gen. Tô Ân Xô, Chief of the Office and Spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), has said.

These are the latest moves in a probe into the case of “giving bribes, taking bribes; abusing position, power while performing duties; and swindling, appropriating assets” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hà Nội, and some other localities regarding the scandal-tainted repatriation flights for Vietnamese citizens from overseas during the border closure due to COVID-19 in 2020-21.

Many incumbent and former officials have been arrested as part of the case.

They included Nguyễn Quang Linh, Assistant to the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister; Tô Anh Dũng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Nguyễn Thị Hương Lan, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department.

Total assets related to the case have reached VNĐ88 billion (US$3.75 million) and the police have said they are striving to wrap up the investigation into the case in the first quarter of this year. — VNS