Mr. Chu Ngoc Anh and Nguyen Thanh Long, both members of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, have just been found by the party’s Central Commission for Inspection to have committed “violations” related to the case of substandard COVID-19 test kits made by Viet A Company.
The state-controlled media quoted the announcement of the Central Commission for Inspection on March 31, saying that Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, who is also a former Minister of Science and Technology, “had signs of violations” due to a “lack of responsibility, loose leadership, direction, management, lack of inspection” in the implementation of the scientific project of researching and manufacturing COVID-19 test kits of the Military Medical Academy.
Also with the same accusation, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Minister of Health, was accused of “violating” professional assessment, inspection, and supervision; licensing, granting circulation registration numbers; and setting prices for this product.
From the beginning of 2020, Vietnam’s state-controlled media reported that Covid-19 test kit products were jointly researched and produced by Viet A Company and Military Medical Academy – two units were coordinated by the Ministry of Science and Technology led by Mr. Chu Ngoc Anh. These products were said to be recognized to meet international standards while this company is said to have raised the price of products too high amid the scarcity of testing supplies for provinces in Vietnam.
Also in the scandal related to the Viet A test kit, the inspection commission asked the party’s Secretariat to consider and discipline Lieutenant General Do Quyet, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Director of the Military Medical Academy, and Major General Hoang Van Luong, Deputy Director of Military Medical Academy, due to mistakes in the Viet A case.
In addition, Lieutenant General Nguyen Viet Luong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Military Medical Academy was also disciplined with a warning.
Violations cause serious consequences, damage money, and property of the State, cause anger in society, affect the reputation of party organizations, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Health. The violations are so serious so they should be disciplined,” said the notice of the Central Commission for Inspection.
To date, Mr. Anh and Mr. Long are the two most senior officials in the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Mr. Quyet and Mr. Luong are the first military generals to be disciplined in connection with the Viet A test kit scandal.
From Ho Chi Minh City, medical doctor Dinh Duc Long commented to VOA about this disciplinary review:
“They are disciplined without any injustice, public opinion strongly agrees with punishing them.”
Dr. Dinh Duc Long added that the authorities need to clarify the degree of their association with other higher agencies and organizations, and clarify why these individuals have been awarded the medal by senior Vietnamese leaders.
“This is just a Party discipline, which is internal, people demand a level of administrative and criminal discipline because this is an unprecedented case in many aspects,” said Mr. Dinh. Duc Long added.
Also according to the announcement of the Central Commission for Inspection, the Central Committee decided to expel from the Party Colonel Ho Anh Son, Secretary of the Party cell, Deputy Director of the Military Medical Research Institute, and Colonel Nguyen Van Hieu, from the Military Medical Academy, in addition, applied warnings and reprimands to a series of other officials.
Phan Quoc Viet, General Director of Viet A, in January admitted that he had increased the price of Covid-19 test kits by 45% and spent about VND800 billion ($35 million) as “commissions” for the company’s buyers. Viet claimed to have bribed a number of officials to earn more than VND500 billion.
Vietnamese authorities said that some officials colluded with leaders of the local Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to win bids for Viet A’s test kits.
Previously, 25 people, including senior officials of the provincial CDCs, were investigated for their involvement in this scam.
Translated by Thoibao.de from VOA: https://www.voatiengviet.com/a/hang-loat-uy-vien-tw-tuong-quan-doi-bi-xem-xet-ky-luat-lien-quan-viet-a/6511051.html
