Former Chairman of the city’s People's Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung at the court on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo

 HÀ NỘI — Former Chairman of the Hà Nội’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung was brought to trial on Monday on a charge of “abusing position and power while performing duties.”

The case involved illegal interference in bidding activities, enabling Nhật Cường Company to win contracts.

According to the indictment, Chung abused his position and power to illegally interfere in bidding activities for a deal on the digitisation of business registration documents in 2016 at the city’s Department of Planning and Investment.

Later, he asked the department to allow the Nhật Cường to pilot digitalisation of the bidding package for the personal purpose of making the company win the bid and enjoy the benefits, causing losses of over VNĐ26.5 billion (US$1.16 million) to the State budget.

Notably, Minh Hoa company led by Nguyễn Thị Trúc Chi Hoa, Chung’s wife, signed a contract with Nhật Cường to enable the Nhật Cường – Đông Kinh joint venture to validate its bidding dossier and win the bid.

Six other defendants in the case were prosecuted for violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences, in accordance with Article 222 of the Penal Code.

They were former Chief of the Office of the municipal Party Committee and former Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Văn Tứ; former Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Tiến Học; former head of the business registration office under the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Phạm Thị Kim Tuyến; former Chief of the Office of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Phạm Thị Thu Hường; Director of the Đông Kinh Development and Investment Co. Võ Việt Hùng; and Business Director of the Đông Kinh Development and Investment Co. Lê Duy Tuấn.

The trial is scheduled to last five days.

Chung is currently serving a five-year sentence for appropriating secret State files related to Nhật Cường Mobile’s accounting irregularities, smuggling and money laundering.

Earlier this month, the former Chairman of Hà Nội People's Committee was sentenced by Hà Nội People's Court to eight years in jail over the illegal purchase of the water cleaning agent Redoxy 3C for the capital city. — VNS