Nguyễn Thanh Phong, former director of the Việt Nam Food Safety Authority. — Photo Ministry of Public Security

HÀ NỘI — Two former directors of the Việt Nam Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health have been accused of receiving bribes totalling VNĐ52 billion, about US$1.98 million, the Investigation Police Agency said on Tuesday.

The bribery case involved the authority and a number of companies in Hà Nội and several other provinces and cities nationwide.

Police have proposed prosecuting 55 suspects for bribery-related offences, including giving and receiving bribes.

Among them, former directors Nguyễn Thanh Phong and Trần Việt Nga, along with 32 others, were proposed for prosecution for receiving bribes.

Twenty-one individuals who were officials of the Health Ministry were accused of giving bribes.

From 2018 to 2024, regulations on the registration and declaration of health supplement products remained general and lacked specific guidance.

There were no detailed instructions on procedures, technical criteria or required documentation, causing difficulties for businesses and creating obstacles for authorities in reviewing and appraising dossiers.

Taking advantage of these shortcomings, Nguyễn Thanh Phong, in his capacity as director of the Việt Nam Food Safety Authority, assigned the Centre and the Division for Standards Management and Testing to appraise product declaration dossiers, despite these units lacking the authority to handle health supplement product declarations.

Phong allegedly approved a policy allowing specialists to collect money beyond prescribed fees, ranging from VNĐ5 million to VNĐ10 million per dossier, averaging about VNĐ7 million.

From 2018 to 2024, specialists at the authority received more than VNĐ94 billion to facilitate the early issuance of product declaration certificates and certificates of good manufacturing practice (GMP).

Phong was accused of appropriating nearly VNĐ44 billion, including more than VNĐ43 billion related to product declaration dossiers and VNĐ330 million linked to GMP certificates.

Investigators alleged that he acted as the mastermind and ringleader and must bear criminal responsibility for the entire amount of more than VNĐ94 billion in bribes received.

He has been required to forfeit nearly VNĐ44 billion to the State treasury.

Trần Việt Nga, former deputy director of the Việt Nam Food Safety Authority. — Photo Ministry of Health

From July 2018 to September 2024, Trần Việt Nga, in her role as deputy director of the authority, was assigned to oversee the signing of certificates approving advertising content for health supplement products.

Investigators concluded that Nga frequently allowed dossiers to lapse without approval or returned them without clear reasons, while demanding at least VNĐ2 million per dossier for advertising content approval.

Nga and six specialists from the Information, Education and Communication Division collected more than VNĐ12.7 billion from applicants, of which Nga herself allegedly received more than VNĐ8 billion. — VNS