Former immigration official arrested in pandemic repatriation scam
Tran Van Du, 61, former deputy chief of the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration management agency, and three others were detained Monday on suspicion of accepting bribes related to “rescue flights” that brought Vietnamese citizens home during the pandemic.
Lieutenant General To An Xo, chief of the Ministry of Public Security’s Office and its spokesman, said that the four persons were arrested pending further investigation into the allegations.
Tran Van Du, former deputy chief of the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration management agency. Photo courtesy of Cong An newspaper.
Apart from Du, the three others are: Nguyen Mai Anh, a 46-year-old official with the Government Office’s department of international relations; Ngo Quang Tuan, 38, an official of the Ministry of Transport’s international cooperation department; and Vu Sy Cuong, 36, a former official at the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration management agency.
This is the latest development in an investigation into a case involving giving and accepting bribes at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular agency and related provinces and cities.
According to the public security ministry, there were nearly 2,000 "rescue flights" to bring Vietnamese citizens home from abroad during the Covid-19 outbreaks. After deducting costs, each flight generated a profit of several billion dong (VND1 billion = $42,750).
On April 14, To Anh Dung, Deputy Foreign Minister, was arrested on charges of accepting bribes related to the “rescue flights”.
Pham Trung Kien, a 41-year-old official at the Ministry of Health’s department of medical project and equipment, and Vu Anh Tuan, 43, a former officer of the Ministry of Public Security’s immigration management agency were arrested on the same charges.
On January 28, the investigative agency arrested Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, 48, director of the consular agency, and three subordinates. The four have been placed under investigation for receiving bribes.
Two months later, Nguyen Dieu Mo, general director of An Binh Aviation Services, Tourism and Trade Company, was arrested on charges of bribery.
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