Breaking news: Former Politburo member Le Thanh Hai was arrested?

The Police Investigation Agency (C03) of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has decided to probe former Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Le Thanh Hai and detained him.

Currently, he is held at Ngoc Xa temporary detention camp, Bac Ninh province (this is the interrogation facility of Director of C03 Major General Nguyen Ngoc Lam).

Le Thanh Hai, former member of the Politburo, Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee

He is charged with money laundering and transferring abroad which causing a loss of $50 billion to the state budget, and collaboration with Chinese spies to sabotage the Vietnamese economy for 15 years in Ho Chi Minh City.

This is done according to the decision to probe the defendant No. N011/C03 dated May 23, 2024 and temporary detention order No. 852/C03 dated May 23, 2024 of the C03.

Immediately after the above decisions were made, Head of the Central Committee’s Commission for Organization Le Minh Hung signed a decision to suspend Le Thanh Hai from Party activities. Decision No. 932-QDNS/TW was made at the joint request of the Central Police Party Committee and the Central Committee’s Commission for Inspection.

The police also temporarily detained his wife Truong Thi Hien on allegation of money laundering. Her older sister, former Vice President Truong My Hoa, was reported to have sent a letter to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in which she declared that she would self-immolate at the historic Ba Dinh mausoleum if her younger sister will not be released within 9 days.