Central Inspection Committee proposes to discipline Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son

The Central Inspection Committee has proposed the Politburo discipline Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as he is responsible for violations related to Vietnam's pandemic repatriation flights.

The committee found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's Party leaders had violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, lacked responsibility, and showed loose leadership and direction.

This led to the ministry, many organizations, cadres and Party members having violated the Party's regulations and the State's laws in organizing "rescue" flights that brought Vietnamese citizens home during the Covid-19 surge.

Some cadres and Party members have degraded in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle; violated Party members' code of conduct and responsiblity to set an example; and accepted bribes. They have been detained for further investigation, according to a release from the committee.

"The violations have led to serious consequences and caused anger in society, as they breached the Party and State's policies and undermined the prestige of Party organizations and the external relations sector."

In the case of giving and receiving bribes related to repatriation flights, as of early December, the Ministry of Public Security's investigative agency had detained more than 20 people, many of whom are officials of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Transport, the Government Office, and the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration department.

Investigators said that taking advantage of the flights to "rescue" Vietnamese citizens from abroad to return home due to the pandemic, many ministerial officials colluded with businesses to reap hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars illicitly.

After the pandemic broke out, Vietnam organized nearly 800 repatriation flights to bring home more than 200,000 citizens from more than 60 countries and territories.

When the flights were deployed, many people complained they had to buy very expensive tickets and go through cumbersome procedures.