Nguyễn Đức Thái, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy, Đinh Quốc Khánh, Tô Mỹ Ngọc.(from first row to second, from right to left). — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Đức Thái, former chairman of the Việt Nam Education Publishing House, and three others were arrested on Monday for allegedly violating bidding regulations in the process of purchasing paper for printing educational books. 

Thái, 61, and Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy, 56, former head of the marketing planning department, were arrested for abusing their position and power, as regulated in Article 356 of the 2015 Penal Code. 

Đinh Quốc Khánh, 53, former head of the marketing planning department, and Tô Mỹ Ngọc, 43, chairwoman of the Phùng Vĩnh Hưng Paper Joint Stock Company, were detained for violating regulations on bidding and causing serious consequences, as regulated in the Article 222 of the 2015 Penal Code.

The Ministry of Public Security issued the decision for their arrest. 

Thái and other suspects at the Việt Nam Education Publishing House are alleged to have colluded with Ngọc to violate fairness and transparency in bidding activities, causing huge losses to the State budget.

After Ngọc’s company won the bid, Thái and his subordinates profited from the deal. — VNS