HÀ NỘI — The Central Steering Committee for Anti-corruption instructed agencies to hasten the investigation, prosecution and judgement of major cases from now to the year’s end during its meeting in Hà Nội on November 10 chaired by Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng who is also the committee’s head.

The cases included the State-owned telecommunication corporation Mobifone’s dubious purchase of the private company AVG, with wrongdoings found at the Ministry of Information and Communications and other offices, as well as the illegal online gambling ring involving senior police officials in Phú Thọ Province and other locations.

At the anti-corruption meeting, Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng stressed the important role of the assessment agencies as this work is used for reference during judgement.

“Assessors will be examined to see whether they perform their tasks in conformity with the law or not,” the leader said.

“We need to bring to court the transgressions made within the watchdog agencies, at any step of the inspection, so as to uphold stringent discipline,” he added.

He requested agencies accelerate the fight against petty corruption, especially in administrative units, as widespread wrongdoings even at small scale could erode people’s trust.

Localities receiving the inspection teams of the Steering Committee must implement the teams’ conclusions strictly and efficiently, he said.

The Steering Committee applauded efforts made by public security, military, prosecution and court agencies, and others, after the committee’s meetings, saying they have created a drastic change in fighting corruption.

After the meeting of the Steering Committee on April 27, agencies completed investigations in 11 cases, issued prosecution indictments for 11 cases and held trials for 13 cases, including complicated and serious corruption and economic cases like the case on “abusing position and power while performing official duties”, “using falsified documents of agencies and organisations”, committed by Đinh Ngọc Hệ – also known as “Út trọc”, former Deputy General Director of Thái Sơn Group (under the Ministry of Defence).

The Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee asked the Political Bureau, the Secretariat and the Central Committee to take disciplinary measures against five Party members under the management of the Party Central Committee as they committed violations in cases monitored by the Steering Committee.

These outcomes again demonstrated the determination of the Party and State to fight corruption, no matter where its foul stench is found.

Trial on illegal online gambling ring starts

Phú Thọ People’s Court on Sunday announced the first-instance trial of the online gambling ring would commence today, bringing to court Phan Văn Vĩnh, former Lieutenant General and former Director General of the Police General Department under the Ministry of Public Security; and Nguyễn Thanh Hóa, former Major General and former Director of the ministry’s High-tech Crime Police Department, who were charged with abusing their positions and power to cover up and aid the operations of the ring along with 90 accomplices.

The illegal gambling ring was reported by the police to have netted about VNĐ9.85 trillion (US$428.2 million) in revenue.

The high-profile trial, which Phú Thọ officials called the “most complicated and involving the largest number of defendants” in its history, is expected to last 15 days. — VNS