Former Bac Ninh province Party chief detained for accepting bribes

Nguyen Nhan Chien, former Secretary of Bac Ninh province's Party Committee, was arrested on Wednesday for accepting bribes in the AIC Company bidding scam.

Chien, 64, was detained by C03 for further investigation into the crime of accepting bribes, said ministry spokesman Lieutenant General To An Xo.

The move was taken after C03 expanded its investigation into a scam that occurred at the health construction project management board under Bac Ninh province's Department of Health, AIC International Progress Joint Stock Company, and related units. Chien's violations have not been made public.

Five days ago, a series of Chien's subordinates were arrested. Among them were Nguyen Tu Quynh, former chairman of the provincial People's Committee, and Nguyen Hanh Chung, former director of the provincial Department of Health and now vice chairman of the provincial People's Council, on the same charges.

Nguyen Tien Nhuong, former vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, has been accused of abusing his position and power while on duty.

Legal proceedings have also been initiated against Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, chairwoman of AIC, in her fifth criminal case.

Nguyen Nhan Chien started as a Youth Union officer, and later became secretary of the provincial Youth Union and then head of the provincial Party Committee's propaganda department and standing vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee.

In 2011, he became chairman of the provincial People's Committee and was elected to the 14th National Assembly. In February 2015, Chien was appointed Bac Ninh's Party chief and chairman of the provincial People's Council until his retirement at the end of 2021.

During his time in office, Chien was involved in many controversies after appointing relatives to leadership positions in localities under his management.

Previously, C03 temporarily detained Tran Van Tuynh, former director of the health construction project management board, along with Nguyen Dang An, former head of the Department of Health's general planning division; Nguyen Kim Huan, former deputy head, and four other people at AIC, BTCVALUE valuation company and Song Hong Company to investigate the crime of violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences.

Over the past two years, AIC has been continuously investigated for bidding violations in units and localities. Most recently, at the end of December 2023, many AIC leaders and staff members were accused of wrongdoing in a case that occurred at the Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Center (VNCERT) under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

In 2022, AIC-related violations occurring at Dong Nai General Hospital, Quang Ninh province's Department of Health, and Ho Chi Minh City Biotechnology Center were investigated. AIC chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan was accused of wrongdoing in five cases but fled. An international arrest warrant for her was issued, and she was tried in absentia in some cases.