Two of the 15 accused in the case are Hoàng Thị Thúy Lan, Secretary of the Party's Committee and Lê Duy Thành, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vĩnh Phúc. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Trung Kiên

HÀ NỘI — Top-level officials are being targeted by unscrupulous gangsters desperate to exploit their status for their personal gain.

That was the message from leading crimefighter Major General Nguyễn Văn Thành, Deputy Director of the Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes.

Major General Thành was speaking at a press conference to review the police force's performance in Q1/2024 on Tuesday.

He cited the recent case of Phúc Sơn Group whose chairman Nguyễn Văn Hậu, is accused of manipulating officials in the Party's Committee of Vĩnh Phúc Province to act in his favour.

Hậu is accused of paying billions đồng to many officials in the province. Among them were Hoàng Thị Thúy Lan, Secretary of the Party's Committee, and Lê Duy Thành, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vĩnh Phúc, who were charged with accepting bribes.

The two have admitted receiving money from Hậu and handed over the money to the police.

Major General Thành said Hậu had also confessed to having paid VNĐ64 billion (US$2.6 million) to Đặng Trung Hoành, Chief of the Office of the Party's Committee of Măng Thít District in Vĩnh Long Province.

After a month of investigation, the Ministry of Public Security has detained and pressed charges against 15 accused, who are Hoàng Thị Thúy Lan, Secretary of the Party's Committee of Vĩnh Phúc; Lê Duy Thành, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vĩnh Phúc; Đặng Văn Minh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quảng Ngãi; Cao Khoa, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Quảng Ngãi; Hà Hoàng Việt Phương, former Deputy Director of Quảng Ngãi's Department of Transport; Phạm Ngọc Thủy, Deputy Director of Quảng Ngãi's Department of Transport; Lê Quốc Đạt, Director of the Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transport Infrastructure; Phạm Ngọc Cương, Deputy General Director of Phúc Sơn Group; Đặng Trung Hoành, Chief of the Office of the Party's Committee of Măng Thít District; Nguyễn Văn Hậu, Chairman of Phúc Sơn Group; Nguyễn Thị Hằng, Deputy General Director of Phúc Sơn Group; Đỗ Thị Mai, Chief Accountant of Phúc Sơn Group; Hoàng Thị Tuyết Hạnh, accountant at Phúc Sơn Group; Trần Hữu Định, Director of Nam Á Investment Group JSC and Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, a freelancer.

The Ministry of Public Safety urges everyone involved in the case to turn themselves in to the police for reduced punishments. — VNS