Former Government Office chairman receives Prime Minister warning

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday disciplined Mai Tien Dung, former chairman of the Government Office, for violations and shortcomings in his work.

The warning was enforced under a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Previously, on January 13, the Party Central Committee's Secretariat issued a warning to former minister Mai Tien Dung for committing violations related to flights that repatriated Vietnamese citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dung is also a former Party Central Committee member and former secretary of the Government Office's Party Committee.

Considering the Central Inspection Committee's proposal, the Secretariat concluded that Mai Tien Dung, as Government Office chairman, had violated the principle of democratic centralism, Party regulations, and State laws; lacked responsibility in carrying out the task of organizing flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

These violations gave rise to some Government Office officials advising against the Prime Minister's decisions, accepting bribes, and being detained.

Dung's violations caused serious consequences, negative public opinion, and undermined the reputation of Party organizations and State administrative agencies.

Investigators said that taking advantage of the flights to "rescue" Vietnamese citizens during 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 60 countries and territories.

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