HÀ NỘI – The fight on corruption has been extended to those supposed to be rooting the practice out of society, after some anti-corruption officers were accused of seeking bribes.

The Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control has sent a dispatch to Party units and authorities of centrally-run cities and provinces requesting they strictly deal with corruption in anti-corruption units. 

They were told to replace or dismiss morally unqualified personnel and enhance inspections of anti-corruption units as directed by Party General Secretary and State President and head of the committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng. 
Party affairs committees of the Government Inspectorate and State Audit Office of Viet Nam must review, supplement and refine operation regulations of inspection and audit delegations. 
The Central Committee of the Public Security’s Party was assigned to investigate a case involving the construction ministry’s inspectors allegedly soliciting bribes during a working trip in Vĩnh Tường District, Vĩnh Phúc Province. 
The Party affairs committee of the Ministry of Construction (MoC) was told to review the appointment of Nguyễn Thi Kim Anh as deputy chief of the anti-corruption division of its inspection team and report to the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control before June 30.

The MoC established a five-person inspection team to probe the planning work, granting of construction permit and management at several projects in Vĩnh Phúc Province’s Vĩnh Tường District.

From the beginning of June, when the delegation was on working trip in Vinh Tuong, provincial police received many complaints from businesses, commune’s People’s Committee and individuals who claimed the delegation had asked for bribes.

The Vĩnh Phúc Police Department set up a working group to investigate the case.

Then, on June 12, Anh and Đặng Hải Anh, also an inspector from the MoC, were caught red-handed receiving bribes worth VNĐ250 million (US$10,700) by local police.

After being arrested, the two suspects admitted their crime.

Police raided their workplace and seized documents, VNĐ335 million in cash and other related items. Both of them are now in custody for investigation.  — VNS