Former Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến at the trial on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People’s Court on Wednesday handed down sentences to ten defendants in a major corruption and economic mismanagement case involving the Ministry of Health and related agencies, after one week of trial and deliberation.

The defendants were convicted of “violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness,” “embezzlement through fraud,” and “taking bribes” in connection with the second campuses of Bạch Mai Hospital and Việt Nam-Germany Hospital.

Former Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến was sentenced to six years in prison for violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness under Article 219 of the Penal Code.

Six other defendants received prison terms on the same charge, including former Deputy Director of the Health Construction Project Management Board Trần Văn Sinh, who was sentenced to seven years in jail; former Director of SHT Investment Consultancy and Construction JSC Đào Xuân Sinh, three years and six months; former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Equipment and Health Facilities Nguyễn Doãn Tú, former Deputy Director of the Major Health Projects Management Board Nguyễn Kim Trung, former Deputy Director of the Construction Economics Institute under the Ministry of Construction Lê Văn Cư, and incumbent Deputy Director of the Construction Economics Institute Hoàng Xuân Hiệp, each receiving three-year prison terms.

Two former officials of the Ministry of Health received the heaviest sentences.

Nguyễn Chiến Thắng, former director of the Major Health Projects Management Board, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for violating regulations on State asset management and 20 years for taking bribes, bringing his combined sentence to 30 years in jail.

Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, former director of the Health Construction Project Management Board and former acting head of the Major Health Projects Management Board, received 10 years for violating State asset management regulations and 15 years for bribery, for a combined sentence of 25 years.

Meanwhile, Lê Thanh Thiêm, director of Sao Nam Sông Hồng Co., Ltd., was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fraud and appropriation of assets.

According to the first-instance verdict, violations committed during the implementation of the second campuses of Bạch Mai and Việt Nam-Germany hospitals caused the projects to stall and fail to meet their objectives.

Construction on both projects was suspended from January 2021 through December 2024, resulting in losses and wastefulness totalling more than VNĐ803 billion (US$30.5 million) to the State budget.

The court determined that Tiến and six others were responsible for the losses by needlessly hiring foreign consultants, authorising payments during construction halts, and unlawfully offering financial aid to businesses.

The verdict also mentioned that Tiến and her subordinate Thắng unfairly created conditions that allowed certain contractors to secure project bids. Thắng later arranged to receive 5 per cent of pre-tax payment values from contractors and was found to have accepted more than VNĐ51 billion in bribes.

After Thắng retired, Tuấn succeeded him as head of the Major Health Projects Management Board and continued receiving money from contractors. Investigators determined that Tuấn accepted VNĐ7.7 billion in bribes directly related to the case.

The court also concluded that defendant Thiêm fraudulently appropriated $2 million after promising to intervene and assist the Ministry of Health during inspections conducted by the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Inspection.

The trial panel described the crimes as “particularly serious,” saying the defendants had intentionally violated State regulations, caused enormous losses and wastefulness, undermined public trust, and damaged the reputation of State agencies.

The judges stressed that strict prison sentences were necessary both as punishment and as a deterrent against corruption, economic crimes, and wastefulness.

The court identified Thắng as the principal offender due to his central role in directing and advising on project implementation despite possessing extensive expertise in construction investment management. As head of the Major Health Projects Management Board, he represented the Ministry of Health as the investor and was responsible for organising the projects.

The court said Tiến, although not directly carrying out the acts causing wastefulness, approved contractor selection plans, project designs and bidding procedures that created the basis for subsequent violations by subordinates, ultimately leading to the prolonged suspension of the two hospital projects and losses exceeding VNĐ803 billion. — VNA/VNS