A former director of the State Bank of Vietnam has been indicted along with 31 others in two corruption cases related to Van Thinh Phat Group, according to Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Security’s General Department of Criminal Investigation for Corruption and Economic Crimes.
The former director, Do Thi Nhan, was the head of an inspection team and allegedly gave a false report to the State Bank’s leadership about her team’s findings, which led to a delayed inspection of Saigon Commercial Bank. This is considered a serious violation.
According to local media, Nhan held the position of Director of the Inspectorate for Supervising Bank II until May 2020, after which she was transferred to a leadership position at a large bank. In addition to Nhan, four other members of the inspection team were indicted for abuse of power while performing their duties.
At the same press conference, Major General To An Xo, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security, announced the results of an investigation into corruption at vehicle inspection centers. According to Xo, the Criminal Investigation Department and police in 32 localities have prosecuted 64 cases involving 506 defendants on seven charges related to fraudulent vehicle inspections.
From 2018 to 2022, hundreds of suspects colluded with 73 design and renovation companies with headquarters in 18 provinces and cities to inspect nearly 40,000 vehicles. Many vehicles were not qualified but were still issued inspection certificates, posing a traffic hazard and endangering society.
The Ministry of Public Security believes that the state management of vehicle inspections has been lax, resulting in an imbalance between the number of inspection centers and the number of vehicles on the road. Many vehicle inspection centers have opened for the sake of profit, competing by offering lower prices and accepting bribes to expedite the process. In addition, the Vietnam Register of Motor Vehicles has both the duty to inspect and supervise inspections, which makes it easier for corruption to occur, local media reported.