Danang chairman reprimanded in Covid test kit scam

Le Trung Chinh, deputy secretary of Danang’s Party Committee and chairman of the central city, was reprimanded Thursday by the Central Inspection Committee.

The committee also reprimanded Huynh Duc Tho, former deputy secretary of Danang’s Party committee and former city chairman.

Ho Ky Minh, standing vice chairman of Danang; Tran Van Mien, former vice chairman of the city; and Nguyen Van Phung, director of the municipal department of finance were also reprimanded.

Ngo Thi Kim Yen, vice chairwoman of the city and former director of the health department, was warned. Ton That Thanh, director of the city's Center for Disease Control (CDC), was expelled from the Party.

The Party leaders of the people’s committee were found to have committed violations in directing the city's Covid-19 fight. They breached the working regulations, lacked irresponsibility, showed loose leadership and direction.

As a result, the city people’s committee and a number of organizations and individuals violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws in procurement, management and use of biological products, chemicals, medical supplies and equipment, leading to the occurrence of scandals at the CDC.

The above-mentioned violations and shortcomings posed a risk of large losses to the state budget, caused anger in public opinion, and undermined the prestige of the Party entities and the city’s administration.

Covid-10 test kit scam

Previously, in June, the Danang police's investigative agency executed a four-month detention warrant for Ton That Thanh, director of the city's CDC and two subordinates to further investigate the act of "embezzlement of property" per the Penal Code.

Initial investigation results show that from 2020-2021, Thanh and his accomplices hooked up with Viet A Company in order to embezzle Covid-19 testing supplies purchased by Da Nang to serve the city's Covid-19 fight.

Accordingly, Thanh directed his subordinates to falsify books and documents to turn tens of thousands of sponsored Covid-19 test kits into those purchased from Viet A Company.

The surplus supplies were then transferred to Viet A Company to appropriate over VND4 billion ($40,730).