Defendants in court. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tùng

HÀ NỘI — An appeal court on Wednesday reduced prison sentences for dozens of former health officials convicted in a major bribery scandal involving the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety Department.

The appellate panel of the Supreme People’s Court in Hà Nội cut the sentence of former Food Safety Department director Nguyễn Thanh Phong from 20 years to 16 years and six months in prison for receiving bribes.

Former director Trần Việt Nga also had her sentence reduced from 15 years to 12 years.

Two other former deputy directors, Nguyễn Hùng Long and Đỗ Hữu Tuấn, received reduced sentences of nine years and six months, and three years and six months, respectively.

Lê Hoàng, a former deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Preventive Medicine Department and husband of Nga, also had his sentence cut from five years to three years.

Other defendants either received lighter prison terms, suspended sentences or were released after being sentenced to time already served in detention.

The court said all defendants admitted wrongdoing and appealed only for reduced punishment or suspended sentences.

Judges found that between 2018 and 2025, Phong and other officials accepted money from businesses during licensing and inspection procedures for food products, advertising approvals and GMP certification.

The court said Phong, Nga and 32 subordinates took bribes totalling VNĐ93.7 billion (US$3.55 million).

Phong was found to have received more than VNĐ43.9 billion, the largest amount in the case, while Nga received more than VNĐ8.2 billion.

The court ruled that Phong played the leading role in directing the collection of unofficial payments from companies, while Nga bore lesser responsibility because she acted under an existing practice established by Phong.

Judges said the defendants had shown remorse and submitted additional mitigating evidence during the appeal hearing, including commendations, charitable activities and voluntary repayments.

The panel also noted that all illicit gains had been returned to the state budget.

The appeal court agreed with prosecutors to remove an aggravating circumstance relating to repeated offences, ruling that it had already been considered in determining the severity of the charges and could not be counted twice in sentencing. — VNS