Deputy head of Vietnam's parliament office detained for abuse of power

Deputy head of Vietnam's National Assembly Office Pham Thai Ha has been arrested for abusing his positions and power to influence others for personal gains.

Ha is also assistant to parliamentary Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The arrest comes as the Ministry of Public Security expands its investigation into a case involving bidding violations and bribery at Hanoi-based Thuan An Group JSC and related units, ministry spokesperson Major General To An Xo said on Monday.

Ha, 48, is the fourth and highest-ranking official involved in the case to be detained.

Born in the northern province of Thai Binh, Ha holds a PhD in economics. He was earlier an assistant to the state auditor general, assistant to the finance minister, assistant to head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, assistant to a deputy prime minister, and assistant to Hanoi's Party leader.

He has held the positions of deputy head of the National Assembly Office and assistant to the chairman of the National Assembly, Vietnam's highest legislative body, since May 2022.

On April 15, Nguyen Duy Hung, chairman of Thuan An Group, was detained for “violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences” and “bribing”. Tran Anh Quang, general director of the group, was charged with “giving bribes”, while Nguyen Khac Man, deputy general director, was accused of “violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences” and “bribery”.

Nguyen Van Thao, director of Bac Giang province’s management board for agricultural and transport investment projects, and his deputy, Dam Van Cuong, have been arrested for “violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences” and “receiving bribes”.

Hoang The Du, head of a division at the management board, has been charged with “violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences”.

Thuan An Group, formerly known as Thuan An Trading and Construction Development JSC, was established on August 4, 2004, headquartered at 141 Truong Chinh street, Hanoi. As of December 7, 2021, the company's charter capital was VND800 billion ($32 million), with nearly 32% held by chairman Nguyen Duy Hung.

Thuan An Group is a prominent name in the infrastructure construction market. Forming partnerships with other units, it has won a series of large construction contracts in provinces and cities across the country. It has bidded for 51 packages and won 39 of them with a total value of more than VND22.6 trillion ($890.8 million).

In Ho Chi Minh City, apart from a canal renovation project, the company is working on the Ring Road No.3 project, and the Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho interchange tunnel project at the city's southern gate.

In 2023, a consortium of Construction Corporation No. 1 - Truong Son Construction Investment JSC - Dat Phuong Group JSC - Thuan An Group won a package to build Dai Ngai 2 bridge and connecting roads with a total value of VND2,073 billion ($82 million).

Thuan An Group, Phuong Nam Construction and Mechanics JSC, Bac Trung Nam Infrastructure Construction JSC, and 168 Vietnam Construction Group JSC last year won a VND2,119 billion ($83.26 million) bidding package for a section of Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot Expressway.

Thuan An Group and 168 Vietnam Construction Group Joint Stock Company also won another package worth VND846.64 billion to construct a section of the Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang Expressway through the northeastern province of Ha Giang.

Other bidding packages include the Lach Gac 1, Lach Gac 2, Sen, Den, Tan Yen 1, Tan Yen 2, Hang Son, Song Cau Vang, Song Cam, and Song Dam Thuy bridges, and a section of the North-South Expressway.

After the case was launched, the Ministry of Public Security’s investigative agency requested localities including Quang Nam, Phu Yen, and Dak Lak to provide documents related to Thuan An Group's bidding packages.