Since the beginning of 2024, many major corruption cases have been brought to light. A series of high-ranking officials have been investigated and disciplined. That has attracted attention and initially created public trust in incumbent General Secretary To Lam.
On November 2, Vietnam’s state-controlled media reported that former Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung was probed and detained for his involvement in the act of “abusing position and power while performing official duties.”
Mr. Dung was accused of receiving VND200 million ($8,000) from businessman Nguyen Cao Tri to intervene in the recovery of the Dai Ninh Project in Lam Dong province. This created conditions for the transfer of projects worth tens of thousands of billions of VND to other companies, causing great losses to the State.
Dung was probed and temporarily detained by the Ministry of Public Security on May 4, due to his involvement in bribery and corruption cases in Lam Dong province, and several other cases involving large enterprises such as Thuan An Group. Previously, he was disciplined by the Party and received a warning in 2023, due to violations related to the “rescue flights.”
Immediately afterwards, on social networks, there were opinions that, during the investigation of the case, Dung had vaguely blamed Truong Hoa Binh, former Permanent Deputy Prime Minister for the 2016-2021 term, as the “final boss” in the Dai Ninh case, in Lam Dong province.
According to informed sources, Dung confessed that “tycoon” Nguyen Cao Tri was the owner of the Saigon Dai Ninh Super Project, had close relationships with Government leaders, and was Dung’s superior.
In 2020, Tri submitted an application for an extension and delay of the progress of the Dai Ninh Project in Lam Dong, and requested Dung, through the government leaders, to direct the Government Inspectorate to resolve the issue soon. After that, Dung reported to DPM Binh for a stronger “impact.”
Notably, after receiving the “gift” of VND200 million from tycoon Tri, Dung immediately approved the Request of Saigon Dai Ninh Company, with the content “Transfer Department I for early handling” then transferred it to Binh for approval and direction.
When he was probed and detained, Dung told the Investigation Agency as above, because he thought that tycoon Tri had asked Binh before. According to Dung, he signed the approval only to ensure the “process” was correct.
Notably, the person who played a key role in helping tycoon Tri, Tran Van Minh, Deputy Inspector General of the Government, suddenly passed away due to a stroke. However, insiders confirmed that Minh had committed suicide and died at his home before being taken to Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital for emergency treatment.
Minh is said to have received tens of billions of VND from Van Thinh Phat Group and businessman Tri to settle the case of extending the Saigon Dai Ninh Project.
Previously, on the afternoon of November 21, 2022, at the headquarters of the Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, Deputy Head of the agency Nguyen Van Hung also jumped from a building and died on the spot.
It is known that Minh and Hung are both close juniors of former PM and State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. They proactively chose death, both to preserve their “reputation” and to avoid revealing the “final boss” in the Dai Ninh case, who is said to be DPM Binh.
Politburo member Binh, a native of Long An province, is a fellow countryman of former State President Truong Tan Sang. Binh has held many important positions in the Vietnamese political system, such as Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Government (2016-2021 term), in charge of directing judicial reform, anti-corruption, and handling complaints and denunciations. Previously, at the 11th National Congress, Binh was Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court.
Tra My – Thoibao.de
