The headquarter of People’s Committee of Vĩnh Tường District in Vĩnh Phúc Province where some inspectors from the Ministry of Construction was caught red-hand while receiving bribes in June last year. Photo tuoitre.vn

VĨNH PHÚC — The Vĩnh Phúc Police Investigation Police Agency has decided to initiate a legal proceedings against Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên, a member of the Ministry of Construction Inspection Team.

She was detained on Wednesday on charges of “abusing positions and powers to appropriate property."

Liên was caught red-handed by the provincial police while receiving bribes in June last year.

Earlier, Vĩnh Phúc Province People’s Procuracy launched legal proceedings against three inspectors of the Ministry of Construction accused of taking bribes in Vĩnh Tường District.

The accused are Nguyễn Thị Kim Anh, head of the inspector delegation, Đặng Hải Anh, a specialist of the ministry’s construction inspection division No.2 and Nguyễn Thùy Linh, a member of the post-inspection supervision, examination and settlement division of the ministry’s inspectorate.

A criminal investigation into the bribery case was also initiated.

Previously, the Ministry of Construction established a five-person inspection team to probe the planning work, granting of construction permits and management at several projects in Vĩnh Tường.

From the beginning of June, when the delegation was on a working trip in Vĩnh Tường, provincial police received 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.

On June 12, Hải Anh and Kim Anh 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 ($14,250) in cash and other related items.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on June 14 ordered the Ministry of Public Security, local police and authorities to probe the case and impose strict punishments on violators.

The Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee has recently decided to expel Hải Anh and Kim Anh from the Party and take a disciplinary measures of reprimand against Liên for the violations.  — VNS