Defendants at the trial on Monday. —VNA/VNS Photo Đức Hiếu

QUẢNG NINH — A trial has begun against 16 people accused of bid rigging over the purchase of medical equipment for Quảng Ninh Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital, totalling almost US$10 million.

Quảng Ninh Provincial People’s Court on Monday opened a first-instance trial for violations relating to the province’s health department, the hospital and the AIC Group.

The indictment reads that Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn, former chairwoman and general director of the Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC Group), founded and managed all of the operations in the company, its subsidiaries and other businesses in the same ecosystem.

During the bidding process for six bid packages in the equipment procurement for Quảng Ninh Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital, Trương Thị Xuân Loan, head of an AIC Group’s project management board; Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, AIC Group vice general manager, and Nguyễn Thị Thu Phương, head of AIC financial secretary division are accused of rigging the bids under Nhàn’s direction.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn, Trương Thị Xuân Loan, Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, and Nguyễn Thị Tích, general director of Mopha, a company connected to AIC, have absconded and are being tried in their absence.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Phương turned herself in on July 28 this year but did not admit to the crime at the investigation agency.

AIC Group won four of the six bid packages, while Mopha JSC won the other two. The packages are worth over VNĐ232 billion ($9.43 million) in total.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn and her accomplices caused more than VNĐ50.6 billion ($2.06 million) in damages to the State, court documents read.

The indictment also said that Cimeico company general director Nguyễn Thị Quyên created value appraisals for 44 types of medical equipment that did not align with the laws. The documents were then sent to Quảng Ninh authorities to complete the bidding dossiers.

The court document said that Quyên colluded and used the price quote provided by the head investor, causing damage worth VNĐ26.7 billion ($1.09 million) to the State.

Defendant Lương Văn Tám, director of Quảng Ninh health department’s project management board is also responsible for approving the value appraisals without detailed reports, leading to damages of more than VNĐ50.6 billion ($2.07 million) from the six bid packages to the State.

Investigations revealed that the former head of the planning and investment division Phạm Trọng Hiệu and his deputy Nguyễn Đức Quang at the provincial health department also played a role in the case. However, they are both deceased and therefore not considered for criminal liability.

Former director of Quảng Ninh Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital Nguyễn Quốc Hùng and 14 members of the hospital board signed a document approving the list of equipment changes but did not participate in the bidding process and bid packages appraisal due to the lack of expertise.

Investigation results also said that there is no proof that Hùng and the hospital board members colluded with contractors for personal gain, and therefore, there is no basis to initiate criminal proceedings against them.

Đỗ Văn Sơn, former head accountant of AIC Group turned himself in on June 22 this year, and admitted to altering the company’s financial reports under Nhàn’s direction.

Defendants in the case have submitted more than VNĐ700 million ($28,460) in compensation for the damage caused.

The trial is expected to continue until Wednesday.

This is the third bid-rigging case in which defendant Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn is tried in absentia.

Last year, Hà Nội People’s Court determined that Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn played the key role in bidding violations and bribery at the Đồng Nai General Hospital and sentenced her to 30 years in prison.

In April 2023, Nhàn continued to be prosecuted by the Ministry of Public Security in the case related to equipment procurement for the Biotechnology Centre of HCM City.

Nguyễn Thị Tích (former director general of Mopha JSC) was sentenced to four years in prison, and Đỗ Văn Sơn (AIC Group’s former head accountant) was given a six-year sentence for their violations of bidding regulations at Đồng Nai General Hospital. — VNS