Former Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội's former top politician has confessed to stealing State secrets, according to the Supreme People’s Procuracy.

Former Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung and three others have been indicted on charges of "appropriating State secrets" by the procuracy in a statement released on Thursday.

The three other accomplices are Nguyễn Anh Ngọc, 46, a staff at the secretariat working for Hà Nội People’s Committee, Nguyễn Hoàng Trung, 37, Chung’s personal chauffeur and also working at the same secretariat; and Phạm Quang Dũng, 37, a police officer working in the investigative unit on smuggling, corruption and economic crimes under the Ministry of Public Security, the procuracy said on Thursday.

According to the indictment, on May 4, police started legal proceedings into transnational smuggling and accounting violations taking place at Nhật Cường Mobile Company and other related units.

As Chung and his wife Nguyễn Thị Trúc Chi were reportedly persons of interests in the case, Chung allegedly asked Dũng, who was involved with the investigation of the Nhật Cường case, to supply information and documents to him.

According to the indictment, on five occasions from July 2019 to June 2020, Dũng stole nine documents related to Nhật Cường, all under the State secret category, and gave six of them to Chung.

Trung and Ngọc printed and modified three State secret documents for Chung, the indictment reads.

The procuracy noted the defendants have admitted to the act and expressed remorse.

It also said that there are mitigating sentences for Chung as during his working tenure, he has received many accolades for excellent achievements – especially the title of Hero of People’s Armed Forces, he needs to undergo cancer treatment, and this was his first crime.

The procuracy said it found no solid evidence there were other police officers directly implicated in the illegal act but there were shortcomings which the Ministry of Public Security will deal with.

Earlier, police said Chung made acquaintance with police officer Dũng via Phan Huy Lệ, Chairman and Director-General of Hà Thành Co Ltd.

Chung allegedly asked Dũng to collect and supply information and documents on the Nhật Cường case to him on June 16, 2019.

Dũng is alleged to have made a copy of a key to his superior’s office and entered into the office five times between August 2019 and March 2020, and used his phone to take photos of the case’s documents – which include data and transactions on smuggled goods on 16 suppliers to Nhật Cường, reports on the progress of the investigation into the company and the verification reports on Nhật Cường’s supply of digital administrative services for Hà Nội’s administration in 2017-19.

Dũng transferred these documents via the mobile app Viber, police said.

Also, according to police, Dũng gave Chung US$10,000 but the motive for the act has not been clarified, so the police will pursue this as a separate case.

The two staff working for Chung are alleged to have received three State secret documents from Chung, printed out physical copies and removed the signatures at the bottom of the documents.

Chung was detained on August 28 and immediately removed from his position as Hà Nội's leader. — VNS